THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


Ellustratetr  Cabinet  lEtittton 


Percival  Keene    «•>    + 

+  By  Captain  Frederick  Marryat 


With   Introduction  by      «3&      «a* 
W.  L.  Courtney,  M.  A.,  LL.  D. 


Dana  Estes  &  Company 

jfc  ji  &  jt  &  jt,    Publishers 
Boston  ******** 


TR 

4977 

T4! 


INTRODUCTION 


the  last  eight  years  of  his  life,  from  1840  to  1848, 
Captain  Marryat  lived  almost  entirely  at  Langham,  his  estate 
in  Norfolk,  occupying  himself  with  farming  and  writing 
almost  exclusively  for  children.  In  "  Poor  Jack  "  and  "  Per- 
cival  Keene,"  however,  both  of  which  belong  to  this  period, 
he  returned  to  his  earlier  stories  of  sea  life  with  the  old 
fun  and  vigour,  and  some  measure  of  the  old  success.  Mr. 
David  Hannay  states  that  "  '  Percival  Keene  '  is  the  least 
pleasant  of  all  Captain  Marryat's  books,  and  the  only  one 
which  had  better  not  be  re-read  in  maturer  years  by  him 
who  has  read  it  as  a  boy  "  ;  but  few  will  agree  with  him 
in  this  sweeping  assertion.  The  book  is  by  no  means 
remarkable,  but  it  will  be  read  with  pleasure  by  ninety- 
nine  people  out  of  a  hundred.  It  does  not  make  much 
impression,  or  remain  long  in  the  memory,  but  the  char- 
acters are  really  interesting,  and  the  practical  jokes  played 
by  Percival  Keene  in  his  boyish  and  "  middy  "  days  are 
of  the  old  amusing  kind.  Somewhat  vulgar  and  farcical 
perhaps  ;  but  this  fault  must  also  be  found  with  "  Midshipman 
Easy  "  and  "  Peter  Simple,"  and,  indeed,  with  all  the  books 
written  for  boys  by  a  rough  old  sailor  fifty  years  ago.  Take, 
for  instance,  the  episode  of  the  tail  of  rope  which  Percival 
Keene  hooks  to  Captain  Delmar's  coat  collar  and  induces  his 
dog  to  spring  at.  Can  any  one  help  laughing  at  the  idea  of 
the  dignified  captain  rushing  wildly  down  the  street  calling  for 
help,  with  the  dog  clinging  to  his  back,  until  he  becomes  en- 
tangled with  his  sword  and  falls  flat  ?  Percival  Keene  has  been 


534773 

LIBRARY 


INTRODUCTION 

considered  by  many  to  be  a  low  fellow,  "  who  plays  his  part 
in  the  meanest  possible  manner "  ;  he  is  classed  with  Frank 
Mildmay,  and  it  is  a  subject  of  regret  that  the  author  ap- 
peared to  be  quite  unconscious  of  his  hero's  baseness.  But  if 
Percival  Keene  is  selfish — and  he  certainly  stands  convicted — 
if  he  is  wanting  in  honour  and  affection,  he  is  never  lacking 
in  bravery,  in  dash,  in  indomitable  will  and  perseverance,  and  in 
firm  friendship  for  his  friends  and  messmates.  Gratitude  he 
feels  also,  and  prudence  and  foresight,  whilst  his  tenacity  of 
purpose  is  extraordinary.  Perhaps  the  worst  part  of  his  char- 
acter is  his  conduct  towards  his  mother.  From  the  moment 
that  he  discovers  the  secret  of  his  birth,  her  authority  over 
him  is  gone,  he  commands  her,  and  she  is  to  him  but  a  humble 
devoted  slave,  whilst  he  exacts  entire  self-abnegation  on  her 
part,  even  pretending  that  she  is  dead.  But  Percival  is 
not  without  pangs  of  remorse  for  this  deceit ;  he  is  an  adept 
at  self-analysis,  and  he  suffers  deeply.  Only,  like  Napoleon, 
he  is  bound  to  push  aside  everything  that  can  raise  an  obstacle 
in  the  path  of  his  ambitions.  His  is  a  very  faulty  character, 
but  so  consistent,  and  so  life-like,  that  he  cannot  fail  to  in- 
terest us,  and  when  he  finally  attains  to  all  and  more  than  he  had 
hoped,  can  we  feel  that  his  success  is  altogether  undeserved  ? 
The  actual  story  might  be  told  in  a  few  pages.  Percival 
Keene  is  the  illegitimate  son  of  the  Hon.  Captain  Delmar 
and  of  his  sister's  companion,  Arabella  Mason.  His  mother 
having  married  a  worthy  marine,  removes  soon  after  her 
son's  birth  to  Chatham.  There  she  starts  a  fancy  shop, 
which  becomes  the  fashionable  lounge  and  resort  of  the 
officers  and  their  wives.  Captain  Delmar  takes  refuge 
here  during  the  dog  and  rope  episode.  He  thus  again 
meets  Arabella,  and  being  willing  to  do  something  for  his 
son,  he  takes  Percival  to  sea  with  him  in  his  ship  the 
Calliope.  Percival  discovers  by  accident  that  Delmar  is  his 
real  father,  but  is  too  prudent  to  let  the  captain  know  that 
he  is  aware  of  this,  and  henceforth  his  whole  life  is  absorbed 

vi 


INTRODUCTION 

In  the  ambition  to  make  the  captain  acknowledge  him  as 
his  son.  It  is  for  this  that  he  deceives,  for  this  that  he 
humiliates  himself  again  and  again,  and  for  this  only  that 
he  tries  to  win  fame  and  incurs  the  greatest  risks  and 
dangers. 

Captain  Delmar,  afterwards  Lord  de  Versely,  is  the  type 
of  many  men  of  noble  birth.  His  good  qualities  are  con- 
cealed and  cloaked  by  his  outside  mask  of  vainglorious 
coxcombry  and  that  dignity  which  he  is  for  ever  upholding ; 
yet  he  is  a  kind  man,  not  devoid  of  affection  and  sympathy, 
and  his  sailors  are  astonished  to  discover  that  he  not  only 
knows  how  to  manage  his  ship,  but  how  to  manage  her  well. 
Arabella  Mason,  Percival's  mother,  is  a  very  ordinary  woman, 
and  one  to  be  often  found  in  Marryat's  books,  whilst  Bob 
Cross,  Percival's  friend,  confidant,  and  mentor,  is  as  unin- 
terestingly worthy  as  such  people  are  wont  to  be.  The  sea- 
fights  and  captures  of  hostile  vessels  are  as  realistic  and 
exciting  as  one  would  expect,  whilst  the  description  of 
the  wreck  of  the  Circe  is  worthy  of  the  author,  and  could 
only  have  been  written  by  one  who  was  absolutely  cognisant 
of  what  he  described. 

The  negro  pirate  and  his  black  crew  have  often  been 
commented  on.  As  a  rule  Marryat's  pirate  is  a  cowardly  cut- 
throat who  eventually  comes  to  the  gallows  ;  but  it  is  known 
that  members  of  Marryat's  family  gave  half  their  lives  and 
fortunes  for  the  abolition  of  the  slave-trade.  Perhaps,  there- 
fore, it  was  his  own  intense  sympathy  with  the  race  which 
made  him  in  the  negro  captain  draw  a  man  in  whom  there 
was  much  goodness,  and  for  whom  Percival  could  not  but  feel 
affection  and  sympathy,  even  to  the  extent  of  justifying  him 
in  his  conduct  towards  the  white  race.  Otherwise  this  in- 
cident is  too  melodramatic  and  exaggerated,  and  the  pirates 
themselves  may  well  be  compared  to  those  wondrous  crea- 
tures described  by  Michael  Scott,  who  flourish  in  "  The  Cruise 
of  the  Midge." 

vii 


INTRODUCTION 

The  date  of  the  publication  of  "  Percival  Keene"  is  1842, 
but  Mrs.  Ross  Church  says  that  the  book  was  the  first  written 
by  the  author  after  his  return  from  America,  which  he 
visited  in  1838.  If  this  be  the  case,  perhaps  we  may  get  a 
fair  idea  of  Captain  Marryat's  opinion  of  the  Yankee  of  his 
time  from  his  description  of  the  captain  of  the  American 
brig,  who  on  being  sent  for  by  Captain  Delmar  refuses  to 
give  him  the  smallest  information  unless  he  is  given  some- 
thing in  exchange.  "  You  see,  master,  we  both  have  our 
wants,"  he  says  to  the  dignified  Delmar;  "you  want  infor- 
mation, I  want  a  spar.  I  have  no  objection  to  a  fair  swop." 
This  is,  perhaps,  specious  and  reasonable ;  it  may  be  but 
the  logic  of  a  business-like  mind  ;  but  what  are  we  to  under- 
stand when  the  American  captain,  after  being  most  suspicious 
as  to  the  quality  of  the  spar,  does  not  scruple  to  make  his 
information  as  misleading  as  possible  without  being  absolutely 
untrue  ? 

W.  L.  C. 

June  1898. 


LIST  OF   ILLUSTRATIONS 


PAGE 
"A  junior   officer   received  us   on  the  deck,  and  presented  his 

sword" Frontispiece 

"It  was  with  astonishment,  mingled  with  horror,  that  I  beheld  Mr. 
O'Gallagher  thrown  up  to  the  ceiling  enveloped  in  a  cloud  of 
smoke" 37 

"  She  lay  sound  asleep,  her  hair  had  fallen  over  her  face,  so  as 

almost  to  conceal  her  features" 96 

" '  I  do  not  fear  your  pistol,  Captain  Vincent.  ...  I  tell  you,  you 

must  not  destroy  that  innocent  child '" 146 

"  I  remained  where  I  was,  having  dropped  my  pistol  on  the  ground  "    228 
"  A  tremendous  sea  broke  over  her  bows  " 333 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 


CHAPTER  I 

-A.  FEW  miles  from  the  town  of  Southampton  there  is  an 
old  mansion-house,  which  has  been  for  centuries  known  as 
Madeline  Hall,  in  the  possession  of  the  De  Versely  family. 
It  is  a  handsome  building,  surrounded  by  a  finely  timbered 
park  of  some  extent,  and,  what  is  more  important,  by  about 
12,000  acres  of  land,  which  also  appertain  to  it.  At  the 
period  in  which  I  commence  this  history,  there  resided  in 
this  mansion  an  elderly  spinster  of  rank,  named  the  Honour- 
able Miss  Delmar,  sister  of  the  late  Lord  de  Versely  and  aunt 
to  the  present  earl,  and  an  Honourable  Captain  Delmar,  who 
was  the  second  son  of  the  deceased  nobleman.  This  property 
belonged  to  the  Honourable  Miss  Delmar,  and  was  at  her 
entire  disposal  upon  her  decease. 

The  Honourable  Captain  Delmar,  at  the  time  I  am  speak- 
ing of,  commanded  a  frigate  employed  upon  what  was  desig- 
nated Channel  service,  which  in  those  days  implied  that 
the  captain  held  a  seat  in  the  House  of  Commons,  and  that 
he  voted  with  the  Ministry  ;  and  further,  that  his  vote  might, 
when  required,  be  forthcoming,  the  frigate  was  never  sea- 
going, except  during  the  recess.  It  must  be  admitted  that 
H.M.  ship  Paragon  did  occasionally  get  under  weigh  and 
remain  cruising  in  sight  of  land  for  two  or  three  days,'  until 
the  steward  reported  that  the  milk  provided  for  the  captain's 
table  was  turning  sour;  upon  which  important  information 
the  helm  was  immediately  put  up,  and  the  frigate,  in  a  case 
of  such  extreme  distress,  would  drop  her  anchor  at  the 
nearest  port  under  her  lee.  Now  as  the  Paragon  was  con- 
stantly at  Spithead,  Captain  Delmar  was  very  attentive  in 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

visiting  his  aunt,  who  lived  at  Madeline  Hall ;  ill-natured 
people  asserted,  because  she  had  so  fine  an  estate  in  her  own 
gift.  Certain  it  is,  that  he  would  remain  there  for  weeks, 
which  gave  great  satisfaction  to  the  old  lady,  who  liked  her 
nephew,  liked  attention,  and  was  even  so  peculiar  as  to  like 
sailors.  But  it  must  be  observed  that  there  was  another 
person  at  the  mansion  who  also  liked  the  captain,  liked 
attention,  and  liked  sailors  ;  this  was  Miss  Arabella  Mason, 
a  very  pretty  young  woman  of  eighteen  years  of  age,  who 
constantly  looked  in  the  glass  merely  to  ascertain  if  she  had 
ever  seen  a  face  which  she  preferred  to  her  own,  and  who 
never  read  any  novel  without  discovering  that  there  was 
a  remarkable  likeness  between  the  heroine  and  her  pretty 
self. 

Miss  Arabella  Mason  was  the  eldest  daughter  of  the 
steward  of  the  old  Lord  de  Versely,  brother  to  the  Honour- 
able Miss  Delmar,  and  was  much  respected  by  his  lordship 
for  his  fidelity  and  his  knowledge  of  business,  in  the  trans- 
action of  which  he  fell,  for  he  was  felling  trees,  and  a  tree 
fell  upon  him.  He  left  a  widow  and  two  daughters  :  it  was 
s:iid  that  at  his  death  Mrs.  Mason  was  not  badly  off,  as  her 
husband  had  been  very  careful  of  his  earnings.  Mrs.  Mason, 
however,  did  not  corroborate  this  statement :  on  the  contrary, 
she  invariably  pleaded  poverty ;  and  the  Honourable  Miss 
Delmar,  after  Lord  de  Versely's  death  —  which  happened 
soon  after  that  of  his  steward — sent  both  the  daughters  to 
be  educated  at  a  country  school,  where,  as  everything  that 
is  taught  is  second-rate,  young  ladies,  of  course,  receive  a 
second-rate  education.  Mrs.  Mason  was  often  invited  by 
the  Honourable  Miss  Delmar  to  spend  a  month  at  Madeline 
Hall,  and  used  to  bring  her  eldest  daughter,  who  had  left 
school,  with  her.  Latterly,  however,  the  daughter  remained 
as  a  fixture,  and  Mrs.  Mason  received  but  an  occasional  invi- 
tation. It  may  be  inquired  in  what  capacity  Miss  Arabella 
Mason  remained  at  the  Hall :  she  was  not  a  servant,  for  her 
position  in  life  was  above  that  of  a  menial ;  neither  was  she 
received  altogether  in  the  saloon,  as  she  was  of  too  humble 
a  grade  to  mix  with  gentry  and  nobility ;  she  was,  therefore, 
betwixt  and  between,  a  sort  of  humble  companion  in  the 
drawing-room,  a  cut  above  the  housekeeper  in  the  still-room, 
a  fetcher  and  carrier  of  the  honourable  spinster's  wishes,  a 

2 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

sort  of  link  between  the  aristocratic  old  dame  and  her  male 
attendants,  towards  whom  she  had  a  sort  of  old-maidish  aver- 
sion. However  this  position  might  be  found  useful  to  her 
mistress,  it  must  be  admitted  that  it  was  a  most  unfortunate 
position  for  a  young,  thoughtless,  and  very  pretty  girl,  more- 
over, who  was  naturally  very  lively,  very  smart  in  repartee, 
and  very  fond  of  being  admired. 

As  the  Honourable  Captain  Delmar  was  very  constant  in 
his  visits  to  his  aunt,  it  was  but  natural  that  he  should  pay 
some  little  attention  to  her  humble  companion.  By  degrees 
the  intimacy  increased,  and  at  last  there  were  reports  in  the 
servants'  hall  that  the  captain  and  Miss  Bella  Mason  had 
been  seen  together  in  the  evergreen  walk ;  and  as  the 
captain's  visits  were  continually  repeated  during  the  space  of 
t\vo  years,  so  did  the  scandal  increase,  and  people  became 
more  ill-natured.  It  was  now  seen  that  Miss  Bella  had  been 
very  often  found  in  tears,  and  the  old  butler  and  the  older 
housekeeper  shook  their  heads  at  each  other  like  responsive 
mandai-ins ;  the  only  person  who  was  ignorant  of  the  scandal 
afloat  was  the  old  lady  spinster  herself. 

I  must  now  introduce  another  personage.  The  Honour- 
able Captain  Delmar  did  not,  of  course,  travel  without  his 
valet,  and  this  important  personage  had  been  selected  out 
of  the  marine  corps  which  had  been  drafted  into  the  frigate. 
Benjamin  Keene,  for  such  was  his  name,  was  [  certainly 
endowed  with  several  qualities  which  were  indispensable  in  a 
valet ;  he  was  very  clean  in  his  person,  very  respectful  in  his 
deportment,  and,  after  the  sovereign  of  Great  Britain,  looked 
upon  the  Honourable  Captain  Delmar  as  the  greatest  person 
in  the  world.  Moreover,  Benjamin  Keene,  although  only  a 
private  marine,  was,  without  exception,  one  of  the  hand- 
somest men  that  ever  was  seen ;  and  being  equally  as  well 
made  and  well  drilled  as  he  was  handsome  in  person,  he  was 
the  admiration  of  all  the  young  women.  But  Nature,  who 
delights  in  a  drawback,  had  contrived  to  leave  him  almost 
without  brains ;  and  further,  he  was  wholly  uneducated — for 
he  was  too  stupid  to  learn — his  faculties  were  just  sufficient 
to  enable  him,  by  constant  drilling,  to  be  perfect  in  the 
manual  exercise,  and  mechanically  to  perform  his  duties  as  a 
valet. 

Ben  always  accompanied  his  master  to  the  Hall,  where  the 

3 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

former  was  at  one  and  the  same  time  the  admiration  and 
laughter  of  all  the  servants.  It  hardly  need  be  observed, 
that  the  clever  and  sprightly  Miss  Arabella  Mason  considered 
Ben  as  one  much  beneath  her,  that  is,  she  said  so  on  his  first 
arrival  at  Madeline  Hall ;  but,  strange  to  say,  that  two  years 
afterwards,  just  at  the  time  that  reports  had  been  raised  that 
she  had  been  frequently  discovered  in  tears,  there  was  a 
change  in  her  manner  towards  him :  indeed,  some  people 
insinuated  that  she  was  setting  her  cap  at  the  handsome 
marine — this  idea,  it  is  true,  was  ridiculed  by  the  majority ; 
but  still  the  intimacy  appeared  rapidly  to  increase.  It  was 
afterwards  asserted,  by  those  who  find  out  everything  after  it 
has  taken  place,  that  Ben  would  never  have  ventured  to  look 
up  to  such  an  unequal  match  had  he  not  been  prompted  to  it 
by  his  master,  who  actually  proposed  that  he  should  marry 
the  girl.  That  such  was  the  fact  is  undoubted,  although 
they  knew  it  not;  and  Ben,  who  considered  the  wish  of  his 
captain  as  tantamount  to  an  order,  as  soon  as  he  could  com- 
prehend what  his  captain  required  of  him,  stood  up  erect, 
and  raised  his  hand  with  a  flourish  to  his  head,  in  token  of 
his  obedience.  Shortly  afterwards,  Captain  Delmar  again 
came  over  to  Madeline  Hall,  accompanied,  as  usual,  by  Ben, 
and  the  second  day  after  their  arrival  it  was  made  known  to 
all  whom  it  might  concern,  that  Miss  Arabella  Mason  had 
actually  contracted  a  secret  marriage  with  the  handsome 
Benjamin  Keene. 

Of  course,  the  last  person  made  acquainted  with  this  inte- 
resting intelligence  was  the  Honourable  Miss  Delmar,  and 
her  nephew  took  upon  himself  to  make  the  communication. 
At  first  the  honourable  spinster  bridled  up  with  indignation, 
wondered  at  the  girl's  indelicacy,  and  much  more  at  her 
demeaning  herself  by  marrying  a  private  marine.  Captain 
Delmar  replied,  that  it  was  true  that  Ben  was  only  a  private, 
but  that  every  common  soldier  was  a  gentleman  by  profes- 
sion. It  was  true  that  Bella  Mason  might  have  done  better ; 
but  she  was  his  aunt's  servant,  and  Keene  was  his  valet,  so 
that  the  disparity  was  not  so  very  great.  He  then  inti- 
mated that  he  had  long  perceived  the  growing  attachment ; 
talked  of  the  danger  of  young  people  being  left  so  much 
together ;  hinted  about  opportunity,  and  descanted  upon 
morals  and  propriety.  The  Honourable  Miss  Delmar  was 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

softened  down  by  the  dexterous  reasoning  of  her  nephew ; 
she  was  delighted  to  find  so  much  virtue  extant  in  a  sailor ; 
and,  after  an  hour's  conversation,  the  married  couple  were 
sent  for,  graciously  pardoned,  and  Mrs.  Keene,  after  receiv- 
ing a  very  tedious  lecture,  received  a  very  handsome  present. 
But  if  her  mistress  was  appeased,  Mrs.  Keene's  mother  was 
not.  As  soon  as  the  intelligence  was  received,  old  Mrs. 
Mason  set  off  for  Madeline  Hall.  She  first  had  a  closeted 
interview  with  her  daughter,  and  then  with  Captain  Delmar, 
and  as  soon  as  the  latter  was  over,  she  immediately  took  her 
departure,  without  paying  her  respects  to  the  mistress  of  the 
Hall,  or  exchanging  one  word  with  any  of  the  servants.  This 
conduct  gave  occasion  to  more  innuendoes — some,  indeed, 
ascribed  her  conduct  to  mortification  at  her  daughter's  hav- 
ing made  so  imprudent  a  match,  but  others  exchanged  very 
significant  glances. 

Three  weeks  after  the  marriage,  the  Parliament  having 
been  prorogued,  the  admiral  of  the  port  considered  that  he 
was  justified  in  ordering  the  frigate  out  on  a  cruise.  Ben 
Keene,  of  course,  accompanied  his  master,  and  it  was  not  until 
three  months  had  passed  away  that  the  frigate  returned  into 
port.  As  usual,  the  Honourable  Captain  Delmar,  as  soon  as 
he  had  paid  his  respects  to  the  admiral,  set  off  to  visit  his 
aunt,  accompanied  by  his  benedict  marine.  On  his  arrival, 
he  found  that  everything  appeared  to  be  in  great  confusion ; 
indeed,  an  event  was  occurring  which  had  astonished  the 
whole  household  :  the  butler  made  a  profound  bow  to  the 
captain ;  the  footmen  forgot  their  usual  smirk  when  he 
alighted.  Captain  Delmar  was  ushered  in  solemn  silence  into 
the  drawing-room,  and  his  aunt,  who  had  notice  of  his  arrival, 
received  him  with  a  stiff,  prim  air  of  unwonted  frigidity,  with 
her  arms  crossed  before  her  on  her  white  muslin  apron. 

"  My  dear  aunt,"  said  Captain  Delmar,  as  she  coldly  took 
his  proffered  hand,  "  what  is  the  matter  ?  "  , 

"The  matter  is  this,  nephew,"  replied  the  old  lady;  "that 
marriage  of  your  marine  and  Bella  Mason  should  have  taken 
place  six  months  sooner  than  it  did.  This  is  a  wicked  world, 
nephew ;  and  sailors,  I'm  afraid,  are " 

"  Marines,  you  should  say,  in  this  instance,  my  dear  aunt," 
replied  Captain  Delmar  insinuatingly.  "  I  must  confess  that 
neither  sailors  nor  marines  are  quite  so  strict  as  they  ought 

5 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

to  be ;  'however,  Ben  has  married  her.  Come,  my  dear  aunt, 
allow  me  to  plead  for  them,  although  I  am  very  much 
distressed  that  such  an  event  should  take  place  in  your 
house.  I  think,"  added  he,  after  a  pause,  "  I  shall  give  Mr. 
Keene  seven  dozen  at  the  gangway,  for  his  presumption,  as 
soon  as  I  return  on  board." 

"That  won't  mend  the  matter,  nephew,"  replied  Miss 
Delmar.  "  I'll  turn  her  out  of  the  house  as  soon  as  she 
can  be  moved." 

"  And  I'll  flog  him  as  soon  as  I  get  him  on  board/'  rejoined 
the  captain.  "  I  will  not  have  your  feelings  shocked,  and 
your  mind  harassed  in  this  way,  by  any  impropriety  on  the 
part  of  my  followers — most  infamous — shameful — abominable 
— unpardonable,"  interjected  the  captain,  walking  the  quarter- 
deck up  and  down  the  room. 

The  Honourable  Miss  Delmar  continued  to  talk,  and  the 
honourable  captain  to  agree  with  her  in  all  she  said,  for  an 
hour  at  least.  When  people  are  allowed  to  give  vent  to 
their  indignation  without  the  smallest  opposition,  they  soon 
talk  it  away ;  such  was  the  case  with  the  Honourable  Miss 
Delmar.  When  it  was  first  announced  that  Bella  Keene  was 
safely  in  bed  with  a  fine  boy,  the  offended  spinster  turned 
away  from  the  communication  with  horror;  when  her  own 
maid  ventured  to  remark  that  it  was  a  lovely  baby,  she  was 
ordered  to  hold  h?r  tongue ;  she  would  not  see  the  suffering 
mother,  and  the  horrid  marine  was  commanded  to  stay  in 
the  kitchen,  lest  she  should  be  contaminated  by  meeting  him 
on  the  stairs.  But  every  day  softened  down  her  indignation, 
and  before  a  fortnight  was  over  the  Honourable  Miss  Delmar 
had  not  only  seen  but  admired  the  baby ;  and  at  last  decided 
upon  paying  a  visit  to  the  mother,  who  was  now  sufficiently 
recovered  to  undergo  a  lecture  of  about  two  hours'  length, 
in  which  the  honourable  spinster  commented  upon  her 
twdecency,  zwdiscretion,  zwconsiderateness,  ^correctness,  in- 
decorum, zwcontinence,  and  indelicacy ;  pointing  out  that 
her  conduct  was  most  z/jexcusable,  z/nquitous,  and  most 
t«famous.  The  Honourable  Miss  Delmar  having  had  such  a 
long  iranings  then  gave  it  up,  because  she  was  out  of  breath. 
Bella,  who  waited  patiently  to  make  her  response,  and  who 
was  a  very  clever  girl,  then  declared,  with  many  tears,  that 
she  was  aware  that  her  conduct  was  zwexcusable,  her  faults 

6 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

had  been  z'wvoluntary,  and  her  sorrow  was  inexpressible ;  her 
zwexperience  and  her  infatuation  her  only  apology ;  that  her 
zwfelicity  at  her  mistress's  displeasure  would  inevitably  increase 
her  sufferings;  assured  her  that  she  was  not  ^corrigible,  and 
that  if  her  mistress  would  only  indulge  her  with  forgiveness, 
as  she  hoped  to  zwherit  heaven,  she  would  never  zVicur  her 
anger  by  committing  the  same  fault  again.  Satisfied  with 
this  assurance,  the  Honourable  Miss  Delmar  softened  down, 
and  not  only  forgave,  but  actually  took  the  child  into  her 
lap,  that  Bella  might  read  the  Bible  which  she  had  presented 
her  with.  Reader,  the  child  who  had  this  great  honour  con- 
ferred upon  him,  who  actually  lay  in  the  immaculate  lap,  on 
the  apron  of  immaculate  snowy  whiteness  of  the  immaculate 
Honourable  Miss  Delmar,  was  no  other  person  than  the  narrator 
of  this  history — or,  if  you  please  it,  the  Hero  of  this  Tale. 

That  my  mother  had  so  far  smoothed  things  pretty  well 
must  be  acknowledged ;  but  it  was  to  be  presumed  that  her 
husband  might  not  be  pleased  at  so  unusual  an  occurrence, 
and  already  the  sneers  and  innuendoes  of  the  servants'  hall 
were  not  wanting.  It  appeared,  however,  that  an  interview 
had  taken  place  between  Ben  and  Captain  Delmar  shortly 
after  my  making  my  appearance ;  what  occurred  did  not 
transpire,  but  this  is  certain,  that,  upon  the  marine's  return 
to  the  kitchen,  one  of  the  grooms,  who  ventured  to  banter 
him,  received  such  a  sound  thrashing  from  Ben  that  it  put 
an  end  to  all  further  joking.  As  Ben  had  taken  up  the  affair 
so  seriously,  it  was  presumed  that  if  there  had  been  anticipa- 
tion of  the  hymeneal  rites  he  was  himself  the  party  who  had 
been  hasty ;  and  that  now  he  was  married,  he  was  resolved 
to  resent  any  impertinent  remarks  upon  his  conduct.  At  all 
events,  the  question  now  became  one  of  less  interest,  as  the 
scandal  was  of  less  importance  ;  and  as  Ben  had  made  known 
his  determination  to  resent  any  remarks  upon  the  subject, 
not  a  word  more  was  said,  at  all  events  when  he  was  present. 

In  due  time  I  was  christened,  and  so  completely  was  my 
mother  reinstalled  in  the  good  graces  of  her  mistress,  that 
as  Captain  Delmar  had  volunteered  to  stand  my  sponsor,  the 
Honourable  Miss  Delmar  gave  the  necessary  female  security ; 
at  the  particular  request  of  my  mother,  the  captain  consented 
that  I  should  bear  his  own  Christian  name,  and  I  was  duly 
registered  in  the  church  books  as  Percival  Keene. 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 


CHAPTER  II 

_L  HERE  is  no  security  in  this  world.  A  dissolution  of 
Parliament  took  place,  and  on  the  following  election  the 
Honourable  Captain  Delmar's  constituents,  not  being  exactly 
pleased  at  the  total  indifference  which  he  had  shown  to  their 
interests,  took  upon  themselves  to  elect  another  member 
in  his  stead,  who,  as  Captain  Delmar  had  previously  done, 
promised  everything,  and  in  all  probability  would  follow  the 
honourable  captain's  example  by  performing  nothing.  The 
loss  of  his  election  was  followed  up  by  the  loss  of  his  ship, 
his  Majesty's  government  not  considering  it  necessary  that 
Captain  Delmar  (now  that  he  had  leisure  to  attend  to  his 
professional  duties)  should  retain  his  command.  The  frigate, 
therefore,  was  paid  off,  and  recommissioned  by  another  captain 
who  had  friends  in  Parliament. 

As  Ben  Keene  belonged  to  the  marine  corps,  he  could 
not,  of  course,  remain  as  valet  to  Captain  Delmar,  but  was 
ordered,  with  the  rest  of  the  detachment,  to  the  barracks  at 
Chatham ;  my  mother,  although  she  was  determined  that  she 
would  not  live  at  barracks,  was  not  sorry  to  leave  the  Hall, 
where  she  could  not  fail  to  perceive  that  she  was,  from  her 
imprudent  conduct,  no  longer  treated  with  the  respect  or 
cordiality  to  which  she  had  been  previously  accustomed. 
She  was  most  anxious  to  quit  a  place  in  which  her  disgrace 
was  so  well  known ;  and  Captain  Delmar  having  given  her 
his  advice,  which  coincided  with  her  own  ideas,  and  also  a 
very  munificent  present  to  enable  her  to  set  up  housekeeping, 
took  his  departure  from  the  Hall.  My  mother  returned  to 
her  room  as  the  wheels  of  his  carriage  rattled  over  the  gravel 
of  the  drive,  and  many  were  the  bitter  tears  which  she  shed 
over  her  unconscious  boy. 

The  following  day  the  Honourable  Miss  Delmar  sent  for 
her ;  as  usual  commenced  with  a  tedious  lecture,  which,  as 
before,  was  wound  up  at  parting  with  a  handsome  present. 
The  day  after  my  mother  packed  up  her  trunks,  and  with 
me  in  her  arms  set  off  to  Chatham,  where  we  arrived  safely, 
and  immediately  went  into  furnished  lodgings.  My  mother 

6 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

was  a  clever,  active  woman,  and  the  presents  which  she  had 
at  different  times  received  amounted  to  a  considerable  sum 
of  money,  over  which  her  husband  had  never  ventured  to 
assert  any  claim. 

Indeed,  I  must  do  Ben  Keene  the  justice  to  say  that  he 
had  the  virtue  of  humility.  He  felt  that  his  wife  was  in 
every  way  his  superior,  and  that  it  was  only  under  peculiar 
circumstances  that  he  could  have  aspired  to  her.  He  was, 
therefore,  submissive  to  her  in  everything,  consenting  to 
every  proposal  that  was  made  by  her,  and  guided  by  her 
opinion.  When,  therefore,  on  her  arrival  at  Chatham,  she 
pointed  out  how  impossible  it  would  be  for  one  brought  up 
as  she  had  been  to  associate  with  the  women  in  the  barracks, 
and  that  she  considered  it  advisable  that  she  should  set  up 
some  business  by  which  she  might  gain  a  respectable  liveli- 
hood, Ben,  although  he  felt  that  this  would  be  a  virtual 
separation  a  mensd  et  thoro,  named  no  objections.  Having 
thus  obtained  the  consent  of  her  husband,  who  considered 
her  so  much  his  superior  as  to  be  infallible,  my  mother,  after 
much  cogitation,  resolved  that  she  would  embark  her  capital 
in  a  circulating  library  and  stationer's  shop ;  for  she  argued 
that  selling  paper,  pens,  and  sealing-wax  was  a  commerce 
which  would  secure  to  her  customers  of  the  better  class. 
Accordingly,  she  hired  a  house  close  to  the  barracks,  with  a 
very  good-sized  shop  below,  painting  and  papering  it  very 
smartly  ;  there  was  much  taste  in  all  her  arrangements,  and 
although  the  expenses  of  the  outlay  and  the  first  year's  rent 
had  swallowed  up  a  considerable  portion  of  the  money  she 
had  laid  by,  it  soon  proved  that  she  had  calculated  well,  and 
her  shop  became  a  sort  of  lounge  for  the  officers,  who  amused 
themselves  with  her  smartness  and  vivacity,  the  more  so  as 
she  had  a  talent  for  repartee,  which  men  like  to  find  in  a 
very  pretty  woman. 

In  a  short  time  my  mother  became  quite  the  rage,  and  it 
was  a  mystery  how  so  pretty  and  elegant  a  person  could  have 
become  the  wife  of  a  private  marine.  It  was,  however, 
ascribed  to  her  having  been  captivated  with  the  very  hand- 
some person  and  figure  of  her  husband,  and  having  yielded 
to  her  feelings  in  a  moment  of  infatuation.  The  ladies 
patronised  her  circulating  library ;  the  officers  and  gentlemen 
purchased  her  stationery.  My  mother  then  added  gloves, 

9, 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

perfumery,  canes,  and  lastly  cigars,  to  her  previous  assort- 
ment ;  and  before  she  had  been  a  year  in  business,  found 
that  she  was  making  money  very  fast,  and  increasing  her 
customers  every  day.  My  mother  had  a  great  deal  of  tact : 
with  the  other  sex  she  Avas  full  of  merriment  and  fond  of 
joking,  consequently  a  great  favourite ;  towards  her  own  sex 
her  conduct  was  quite  the  reverse  :  she  assumed  a  respectful, 
prudish  air,  blended  with  a  familiarity  which  was  never 
offensive ;  she  was,  therefore,  equally  popular  with  her  own 
sex,  and  prospered  in  every  sense  of  the  word.  Had  her 
husband  been  the  least  inclined  to  have  asserted  his  rights, 
the  position  which  she  had  gained  was  sufficient  to  her 
reducing  him  to  a  state  of  subjection.  She  had  raised 
herself,  unaided,  far  above  him ;  he  saw  her  continually 
chatting  and  laughing  with  his  own  officers,  to  whom  he 
was  compelled  to  make  a  respectful  salute  whenever  they 
passed  by  him ;  he  could  not  venture  to  address  her,  or  even 
to  come  into  the  shop,  when  his  officers  were  there,  or  it 
would  have  been  considered  disrespectful  towards  them ; 
and  as  he  could  not  sleep  out  of  barracks,  all  his  intercourse 
with  her  was  to  occasionally  slink  down  by  the  area,  to  find 
something  better  to  eat  than  he  could  have  in  his  own  mess, 
or  obtain  from  her  an  occasional  shilling  to  spend  in  beer. 
Ben,  the  marine,  found  at  last,  that  somehow  or  another, 
his  wife  had  slipped  out  of  his  hands ;  that  he  was  nothing 
more  than  a  pensioner  on  her  bounty,  a  slave  to  her  wishes, 
and  a  fetcher  and  carrier  at  her  command,  and  he  resigned 
himself  quietly  to  his  fate,  as  better  men  have  done  before. 


CHAPTER  III 

_L  THINK  that  the  reader  will  agree  with  me  that  my 
mother  showed  in  her  conduct  great  strength  of  character. 
She  had  been  compelled  to  marry  a  man  whom  she  despised, 
and  to  whom  she  felt  herself  superior  in  every  respect ;  she 
had  done  so  to  save  her  reputation.  That  she  had  been  in 
error  is  true,  but  situation  and  opportunity  had  conspired 
against  her ;  and  when  she  found  out  the  pride  and  selfish- 

10 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

ness  of  the  man  to  whom  she  was  devoted,  and  for  whom 
she  had  sacrificed  so  much — when  her  ears  were  wounded 
by  proposals  from  his  lips  that  she  should  take  such  a  step 
to  avoid  the  scandal  arising  from  their  intimacy — when  at 
the  moment  that  he  made  such  a  proposition,  and  the  veil 
fell  down  and  revealed  the  heart  of  man  in  its  selfishness,  it 
is  not  to  be  wondered  that,  with  bitter  tears,  arising  from 
wounded  love,  anger,  and  despair  at  her  hopeless  position, 
she  consented.  After  having  lost  all  she  valued,  what  did 
she  care  for  the  future  ?  It  was  but  one  sacrifice  more  to 
make,  one  more  proof  of  her  devotion  and  obedience.  But 
there  are  few  women  who,  like  my  mother,  would  have 
recovered  her  position  to  the  extent  that  she  did.  Had  she 
not  shown  such  determination,  had  she  consented  to  have 
accompanied  her  husband  to  the  barracks,  and  have  mixed 
up  with  the  other  wives  of  the  men,  she  would  have  gradu- 
ally sunk  down  to  their  level ;  to  this  she  could  not  consent. 
Having  once  freed  herself  from  her  thraldom,  he  immediately 
sunk  down  to  his  level,  as  she  rose  up  to  a  position  in  which, 
if  she  could  not  insure  more  than  civility  and  protection,  she 
was  at  all  events  secure  from  insult  and  ill-treatment. 

Such  was  the  state  of  affairs  when  I  had  arrived  at  the 
important  age  of  six  years,  a  comic-looking,  laughing  urchin, 
petted  by  the  officers,  and  as  full  of  mischief  as  a  tree  full 
of  monkeys.  My  mother's  business  had  so  much  increased, 
that,  about  a  year  previous  to  this  date,  she  had  found  it 
necessary  to  have  some  one  to  assist  her,  and  had  decided 
upon  sending  for  her  sister  Amelia  to  live  with  her.  It  was, 
however,  necessary  to  obtain  her  mother's  consent.  My 
grandmother  had  never  seen  my  mother  since  the  interview 
which  she  had  had  with  her  at  Madeline  Hall  shortly  after 
her  marriage  with  Ben  the  marine.  Latterly,  however,  they 
had  corresponded ;  for  my  mother,  who  was  too  independent 
to  seek  her  mother  when  she  was  merely  the  wife  of  a 
private  marine,  now  that  she  was  in  flourishing  circumstances, 
had  first  tendered  the  olive  branch,  which  had  been  accepted, 
as  soon  as  my  grandmother  found  that  she  was  virtually 
separated  from  her  husband.  As  my  grandmother  found  it 
rather  lonely  at  the  isolated  house  in  which  she  resided,  and 
Amelia  declared  herself  bored  to  death,  it  was  at  last  agreed 
that  my  grandmother  and  my  aunt  Amelia  should  both  come 

11 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

and  take  up  their  residence  with  my  mother,  and  in  due 
time  they  arrived.  Milly,  as  my  aunt  was  called,  was  three 
years  younger  than  my  mother,  very  pretty,  and  as  smart  as 
her  sister,  perhaps  a  little  more  demure  in  her  look,  but 
with  more  mischief  in  her  disposition.  My  grandmother  was 
a  cross,  spiteful  old  woman  ;  she  was  very  large  in  her  person, 
but  very  respectable  in  her  appearance.  I  need  not  say  that 
Miss  Amelia  did  not  lessen  the  attraction  at  the  circulating 
library,  which  after  her  arrival  was  even  more  frequented  by 
the  officers  than  before. 

My  Aunt  Milly  was  very  soon  as  fond  of  me  as  I  was  of 
mischief;  indeed  it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at,  for  I  was  a 
type  of  the  latter.  I  soon  loved  her  better  than  my  mother, 
for  she  encouraged  me  in  all  my  tricks.  My  mother  looked 
grave,  and  occasionally  scolded  me  ;  my  grandmother  slapped 
me  hard  and  rated  me  continually  :  but  reproof  or  correction 
from  the  two  latter  were  of  no  avail,  and  the  former,  when 
she  wished  to  play  any  trick  which  she  dared  not  do  herself, 
em-ployed  me  as  her  agent ;  so  that  I  obtained  the  whole 
credit  for  what  were  her  inventions,  and  I  may  safely  add, 
underwent  the  whole  blame  and  punishment.  But  that  I 
cared  nothing  for ;  her  caresses,  cakes,  and  sugar-plums, 
added  to  my  natural  propensity,  more  than  repaid  me  for  the 
occasional  severe  rebukes  of  my  mother,  and  the  vindictive 
blows  I  received  from  the  long  fingers  of  my  worthy  grand- 
mother. Moreover,  the  officers  took  much  notice  of  me,  and 
it  must  be  admitted  that,  although  I  positively  refused  to 
learn  my  letters,  I  was  a  very  forward  child.  My  great 
patron  was  a  Captain  Bridgeman,  a  very  thin,  elegantly  made 
man,  who  was  continually  performing  feats  of  address  and 
activity ;  occasionally  I  would  escape  with  him  and  go  down 
to  the  mess,  remain  at  dinner,  drink  toasts,  and,  standing  on 
the  mess-table,  sing  two  or  three  comic  songs  which  he  had 
taught  me.  I  sometimes  returned  a  little  merry  with  the 
bumpers,  which  made  my  mother  very  angry,  my  old  grand- 
mother to  hold  up  her  hands,  and  look  at  the  ceiling  through 
her  spectacles,  and  my  Aunt  Milly  as  merry  as  myself. 

Before  I  was  eight  years  old,  I  had  become  so  notorious, 
that  any  prank  played  in  the  town,  any  trick  undiscovered, 
was  invariably  laid  to  my  account ;  and  many  were  the 
applications  made  to  my  mother  for  indemnification  for 

12 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

i  .  • 

broken  windows  and  other  damage  done,  too  often,  I  grant, 
with  good  reason,  but  very  often  when  I  had  been  perfectly 
innocent  of  the  misdemeanour.  At  last  I  was  voted  a  common 
nuisance,  and  every  one,  except  my  mother  and  my  Aunt 
Milly,  declared  that  it  was  high  time  that  I  went  to  school. 

One  evening  the  whole  of  the  family  were  seated  at  tea  in 
the  back  parlour.  I  was  sitting  very  quietly  and  demurely  in 
a  corner,  a  sure  sign  that  I  was  in  mischief,  and  so  indeed  I 
was  (for  I  was  putting  a  little  gunpowder  into  my  grand- 
mother's snuff-box,  which  I  had  purloined,  just  that  she 
might  "  smell  powder,"  as  they  say  at  sea,  without  danger  of 
life  or  limb),  when  the  old  woman  addressed  my  mother — 

"  Bella,  is  that  boy  never  going  to  school  ?  it  will  be  the 
ruin  of  him." 

"What  will  be  the  ruin  of  him,  mother?"  rejoined  my 
Aunt  Milly  ;  "  going  to  school  ?  " 

"  Hold  your  nonsense,  child ;  you  are  as  bad  as  the  boy 
himself,"  replied  granny.  "  Boys  are  never  ruined  by  educa- 
tion ;  girls  sometimes  are." 

Whether  my  mother  thought  that  this  was  an  innuendo 
reflecting  upon  any  portion  of  her  own  life,  I  cannot  tell ;  but 
she  replied  very  tartly — 

"  You're  none  the  worse  for  my  education,  mother,  or  you 
woukl  not  be  sitting  here." 

"  Very  true,  child,"  replied  granny  ;  "  but  recollect,  neither 
would  you  have  married  a  marine — a  private  marine,  Bella, 
while  your  sister  looks  up  to  the  officers.  Ay,"  continued 
the  old  woman,  leaving  off  her  knitting  and  looking  at  her 
daughter,  "and  is  likely  to  get  one,  too,  if  she  plays  her 
cards  well  —  that  Lieutenant  Flat  can't  keep  out  of  the 
shop."  (My  granny  having  at  this  moment  given  me  an 
opportunity  to  replace  her  snuff-box,  I  did  not  fail  to  profit 
by  it ;  and  as  I  perceived  her  knitting-pin  had  dropped  on 
the  floor,  I  stuck  it  into  the  skirt  of  her  gown  behind,  so 
that  whenever  she  looked  for  it,  it  was  certain  ever  to  be 
behind  her.) 

"Mr.  Flat  is  of  a  very  respectable  family,  I  hear  say," 
continued  my  grandmother. 

"  And  a  great  fool,"  interrupted  my  mother.  "  I  hope 
Milly  won't  listen  to  him." 

" He's  an  officer,"  replied  my  granny,  "not  a  private." 

13 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

"  Well,  mother,  I  prefer  my  private  marine,  for  I  can  make 
him  do  as  I  please;  if  he's  a  private,  I  am  commanding 
officer,  and  intend  so  to  be  as  long  as  I  live." 

"  Well,  well,  Bella,  let  us  say  no  more  on  the  old  score ; 
but  that  boy  must  go  to  school.  Deary  me,  I  have  dropped 
my  needle." 

My  grandmother  rose,  and  turned  round  and  round,  looking 
for  her  needle,  which,  strange  to  say,  she  could  not  find ;  she 
opened  her  snuff-box  and  took  a  pinch  to  clear  her  optics. 
"  Deary  me,  why,  what's  the  matter  with  my  snuff?  and  where 
can  that  needle  be  ?  Child,  come  and  look  for  the  needle  ; 
don't  be  sticking  there  in  that  corner." 

I  thought  proper  to  obey  the  order,  and  pretended  to  be 
very  diligent  in  my  search.  Catching  Aunt  Milly's  eye,  I 
pointed  to  the  knitting-needle  sticking  in  the  hind  skirts  of 
my  grandmother's  gown,  and  then  was  down  on  my  knees 
again,  while  my  aunt  held  her  handkerchief  to  her  mouth  to 
check  her  laughter. 

A  mirmte  afterwards  Ben  the  marine  first  tapped  gently, 
and  then  opened  the  door  and  came  in ;  for  at  that  late  hour 
the  officers  were  all  at  dinner,  and  the  shop  empty. 

"  There  are  three  parcels  of  books  for  you  to  take,"  said 
my  mother  ;  "  but  you've  plenty  of  time,  so  take  down  the 
tea-things,  and  get  your  tea  in  the  kitchen  before  you  go." 

"  You  haven't  got  a  shilling,  Bella,  about  you  ?  I  want 
some  "baccy,"  said  Ben,  in  his  quiet  way. 

"  Yes,  here's  a  shilling,  Ben ;  but  don't  drink  too  much 
beer,"  replied  my  mother. 

"  Deary  me,  what  can  have  become  of  my  needle  ? " 
exclaimed  my  grandmother,  turning  round. 

"  Here  it  is,  ma'am,"  said  Ben,  who  perceived  it  sticking 
in  her  skirt.  "That's  Percival's  work,  I'll  answer  for  it." 

My  granny  received  the  needle  from  Ben,  and  then  turned 
to  me :  "  You  good-for-nothing  boy ;  so  you  put  the  needle 
there,  did  you  ?  pretending  to  look  for  it  all  the  while ;  you 
shall  go  to  school,  sir,  that  you  shall." 

"  You  said  a  needle,  granny ;  I  was  looking  for  a  needle  : 
you  didn't  say  your  knitting-pin ;  I  could  have  told  you 
where  that  was." 

"  Yes,  yes,  those  who  hide  can  find ;  to  school  you  go,  or 
I'll  not  stay  in  the  house." 

14 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

Ben  took  the  tea-tray  out  of  the  room.  He  had  been 
well  drilled  in  and  out  of  barracks. 

"  I'll  go  down  in  the  kitchen  to  father,"  cried  I,  for  I  was 
tired  of  sitting  still. 

"No,  you  won't,  sir,"  said  my  mother,  "you  naughty  boy, 
the  kitchen  is  not  the  place  for  you ;  and  if  ever  I  hear  of 
you  smoking  a  pipe  again " 

"  Captain  Bridgeman  smokes,"  replied  I. 

"  Yes,  sir,  he  smokes  cigars ;  but  a  child  like  you  must  not 
smoke  a  pipe." 

"And  now  come  here,  sir,"  said  my  granny,  who  had  the 
lid  of  her  snuff-box  off,  and  held  it  open  in  her  hand ;  "  what 
have  you  been  doing  with  my  snuff?" 

"Why,  granny,  have  I  had  your  snuff-box  the  whole  day?" 

"  How  should  I  know  ? — a  boy  like  you  with  every  finger 
a  fish-hook.  I  do  believe  you  have ;  I  only  wish  I  could  find 
you  out.  1  had  fresh  snuff  this  morning." 

"  Perhaps  they  made  a  mistake  at  the  shop,  mother,"  said 
Aunt  Milly  ;  "  they  are  very  careless." 

"  Well,  I  can't  tell :  I  must  have  some  more ;  I  can't 
take  this." 

"Throw  it  in  the  fire,  granny,"  said  I ;  "and  I'll  run  with 
the  box  and  get  it  full  again." 

"Well,  I  suppose  it's  the  best  thing  I  can  do,"  replied 
the  old  woman,  who  went  to  the  grate,  and  leaning  over, 
poured  the  snuff  out  on  the  live  coals.  The  result  was  a 
loud  explosion  and  a  volume  of  smoke,  which  burst  out  of 
the  grate  into  her  face — the  pinner  and  lappets  singed, 
her  spectacles  lifted  from  her  nose,  and  her  face  as  black 
as  a  sweep's.  The  old  woman  screamed,  and  threw  herself 
back ;  in  so  doing,  she  fell  over  the  chair  upon  which  she 
had  been  sitting,  and,  somehow  or  another,  tripped  me  up, 
and  lay  with  all  her  weight  upon  me.  I  had  been  just 
attempting  to  make  my  escape  during  the  confusion — for 
my  mother  and  Milly  were  equally  frightened — when  I 
found  myself  completely  smothered  by  the  weight  of  my 
now  almost  senseless  granny,  and,  as  I  have  before  men- 
tioned, she  was  a  very  corpulent  woman.  Had  I  been  in 
any  other  position  I  should  not  have  suffered  so  much ; 
but  I  had  unfortunately  fallen  flat  on  my  back,  and  was 
now  lying  with  my  face  upwards,  pressed  upon  by  the 

15 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

broadest  part  of  the  old  woman's  body ;  my  nose  was 
flattened,  and  my  breath  completely  stopped.  How  long 
my  granny  might  have  remained  there  groaning,  I  cannot 
tell ;  probably,  as  I  was  somewhat  a  spoiled  child  before 
this,  it  might  have  ended  in  her  completely  finishing  me  ; 
but  she  was  roused  up  from  her  state  of  half  syncope  by 
a  vigorous  attack  from  my  teeth,  which,  in  the  agony  of 
suffocation,  I  used  with  preternatural  force  of  jaw  for  one 
so  young.  I  bit  right  through  everything  she  had  on,  and 
as  my  senses  were  fast  departing,  my  teeth  actually  met 
with  my  convulsive  efforts.  My  granny,  roused  by  the 
extreme  pain,  rolled  over  on  her  side,  and  then  it  was  that 
my  mother  and  aunt,  who  supposed  that  I  had  made  my 
escape  from  the  room,  discovered  me  lifeless,  and  black  in 
the  face.  They  ran  to  me,  but  I  still  held  on  with  my  teeth, 
nor  could  I  be  separated  from  my  now  screaming  relative, 
until  the  admission  of  fresh  air,  and  a  plentiful  sprinkling  of 
cold  water  brought  me  to  my  senses,  when  I  was  laid  on  the 
sofa  utterly  exhausted. 

It  certainly  was  a  narrow  escape,  and  it  may  be  said 
that  the  "  biter  was  nearly  bit."  As  for  my  granny,  she 
recovered  her  fright  and  her  legs,  but  she  did  not  recover 
her  temper ;  she  could  not  sit  down  without  a  pillow  on  the 
chair  for  many  days,  and  although  little  was  said  to  me  in 
consequence  of  the  danger  I  had  incurred,  yet  there  was  an 
evident  abhorrence  of  me  on  the  part  of  the  old  woman,  a 
quiet  manner  about  my  mother,  and  a  want  of  her  usual 
hilarity  on  the  part  of  my  aunt,  which  were  to  me  a  fore- 
boding of  something  unpleasant.  A  few  days  brought  to 
light  what  was  the  result  of  various  whisperings  and  consul- 
tations. It  was  on  a  fine  Monday  morning,  that  Ben  made 
his  appearance  at  an  unusually  early  hour ;  my  cap  was  put 
on  my  head,  my  cloak  over  my  shoulders ;  Ben  took  me  by 
the  hand,  having  a  covered  basket  in  the  other,  and  I  was 
led  away  like  a  lamb  to  the  butcher.  As  I  went  out  there 
was  a  tear  in  the  eyes  of  my  Aunt  Milly,  a  melancholy  over 
the  countenance  of  my  mother,  and  a  twinkling  expression 
of  satisfaction  in  my  grandmother's  eyes,  which  even  her 
spectacles  could  not  conceal  from  me :  the  fact  was,  my 
grandmother  had  triumphed,  and  I  was  going  to  school. 

16 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 


CHAPTER  IV 

soon  as  I  was  clear  of  the  door,  I  looked  up  into  Ben's 
face  and  said,  "  Father,  where  are  we  going  ?  " 

"  Well,"  replied  he,  "  I  am  going  to  take  you  to 
school." 

"  School !     What  am  I  going  to  school  for  ?  "  replied  I. 

"  For  biting  your  grandmother,  I  expect,  in  the  first 
place,  and  to  get  a  little  learning,  and  a  good  deal  of  flog- 
ging, if  what  they  say  is  true !  I  never  was  at  school 
myself." 

"  What  do  you  learn,  and  why  are  you  flogged  ?  " 

"  You  learn  to  read,  and  to  write,  and  to  count ;  I  can't 
do  either — more's  the  pity ;  and  you  are  flogged,  because, 
without  flogging,  little  boys  can't  learn  anything." 

This  was  not  a  very  satisfactory  explanation.  I  made  no 
further  inquiries,  and  we  continued  our  way  in  silence  until 
we  arrived  at  the  school  door;  there  was  a  terrible  buzz 
inside.  Ben  tapped,  the  door  opened,  and  a  volume  of  hot 
air  burst  forth,  all  the  fresh  air  having  been  consumed  in 
repeating  the  fresh  lessons  for  the  day.  Ben  walked  up 
between  the  forms,  and  introduced  me  to  the  schoolmaster, 
whose  name  was  Mr.  Thadeus  O'Gallagher,  a  poor  scholar 
from  Ireland,  who  had  set  up  an  establishment  at  half-a- 
guinea  a  quarter  for  day  scholars.  He  was  reckoned  a  very 
severe  master,  and  the  children  were  kept  in  better  order 
in  his  school  than  in  any  other  establishment  of  the  kind 
in  the  town ;  and  I  presume  that  my  granny  had  made 
inquiries  to  that  effect,  as  there  were  one  or  two  schools  of 
the  same  kind  much  nearer  to  my  mother's  house.  Ben, 
who  probably  had  a  great  respect  for  learning,  in  conse- 
quence of  his  having  none  himself,  gave  a  military  salute 
to  Mr.  O'Gallagher,  saying,  with  his  hand  still  to  his  hat, 
te  A  new  boy,  sir,  come  to  school." 

"Oh,  by  the  powers!  don't  I  know  him?"  cried  Mr. 
O'Gallagher:  "it's  the  young  gentleman  who  bit  a  hole  in 
his  grandmother ;  Master  Keene,  as  they  call  him.  Keen 
teeth,  at  all  events.  Lave  him  with  me ;  and  that's  his 

17  B 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

dinner  in  the  basket,  I  presume ;  lave  that  too.  He'll  soon 
be  a  good  boy,  or  it  will  end  in  a  blow-up." 

Ben  put  down  the  basket,  turned  on  his  heel,  and  left  the 
schoolroom,  and  me  standing  by  the  throne  of  my  future 
pedagogue — I  say  throne,  because  he  had  not  a  desk,  as 
schoolmasters  generally  have,  but  a  sort  of  square  dais,  about 
eighteen  inches  high,  on  which  was  placed  another  oblong 
superstructure  of  the  same  height,  serving  him  for  a  seat. 
Both  parts  were  covered  with  some  patched  and  torn  old 
drugget,  and  upon  subsequent  examination  I  found  them 
to  consist  of  three  old  claret-cases  without  covers,  which  he 
had  probably  picked  up  very  cheap ;  two  of  them  turned 
upside  down,  so  as  to  form  the  lower  square,  and  the  third 
placed  in  the  same  way  upside  down,  upon  the  two  lower. 
Mr.  O' Gallagher  sat  in  great  dignity  upon  the  upper  one, 
with  his  feet  on  the  lower,  being  thus  sufficiently  raised 
upon  an  eminence  to  command  a  view  of  the  whole  of  his 
pupils  in  every  part  of  the  school.  He  was  not  a  tall  man, 
but  very  square  built,  with  carroty  hair  and  very  bushy  red 
whiskers,  To  me  he  appeared  a  most  formidable  person, 
especially  when  he  opened  his  large  mouth  and  displayed 
his  teeth,  when  I  was  reminded  of  the  sign  of  the  Red 
Lion  close  to  my  mother's  house.  I  certainly  never  had 
been  before  so  much  awed  during  my  short  existence  as  I 
was  with  the  appearance  of  my  pedagogue,  who  sat  before 
me  somewhat  in  the  fashion  of  a  Roman  tribune,  holding 
in  his  hand  a  short  round  ruler,  as  if  it  were  his  truncheon 
of  authority.  I  had  not  been  a  minute  in  the  school  before 
I  observed  him  to  raise  his  arm ;  away  went  the  ruler  whiz- 
zing through  the  air,  until  it  hit  the  skull  of  the  lad  for 
whom  it  was  intended  at  the  other  end  of  the  schoolroom. 
The  boy,  who  had  been  talking  to  his  neighbour,  rubbed  his 
poll,  and  whined. 

"  Why  don't  you  bring  back  my  ruler,  you  spalpeen  ?  "  said 
Mr.  O' Gallagher.  "  Be  quick,  Johnny  Target,  or  it  will  end 
in  a  blow-up." 

The  boy,  who  was  not  a  little  confused  with  the  blow, 
sufficiently  recovered  his  senses  to  obey  the  order,  and 
whimpering  as  he  came  up,  returned  the  ruler  to  the  hands 
of  Mr.  O'Gallagher. 

"That  tongue  of  yours  will  get  you  into  more  trouble  than 

18 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

it  will  business,  I  expect,  Johnny  Target ;  it's  an  unruly 
member,  and  requires  a  constant  ruler  over  it."  Johnny 
Target  rubbed  his  head  and  said  nothing. 

"Master  Keene/'  said  he,  after  a  short  pause,  "did  you 
see  what  a  tundering  tump  on  the  head  that  boy  got  just 
now,  and  do  you  know  what  it  was  for  ?  " 

"  No,"  replied  I. 

"  Where's  your  manners,  you  animal  ?  No  ! — if  you  plase, 
for  the  future,  you  must  not  forget  to  say,  '  No,  sir/  or,  '  No, 
Mr.  O'Gallagher.'  D'ye  mind  me — now  say  yes — what?" 

"  Yes,  what !  " 

"  Yes,  what !  you  little  ignoramus ;  say  '  Yes,  Mr.  O'Gal- 
lagher/ and  recollect,  as  the  parish  clerk  says,  'this  is  the 
last  time  of  asking.'  " 

"Yes,  Mr.  O'Gallagher." 

"  Ah  !  now,  you  see,  there's  nothing  like  coming  to  school 
— you've  learnt  manners  already ;  and  now,  to  go  back  again, 
as  to  why  Johnny  Target  had  the  rap  on  the  head,  which 
brought  tears  into  his  eyes?  I'll  just  tell  you,  it  was  for 
talking ;  you  see  the  first  thing  for  a  boy  to  learn  is  to  hold 
his  tongue,  and  that  shall  be  your  lesson  for  the  day ;  you'll 
just  sit  down  there,  and  if  you  say  one  word  during  the  whole 
time  you  are  in  the  school,  it  will  end  in  a  blow-up;  that 
means,  on  the  present  occasion,  that  I'll  skin  you  alive  as 
they  do  the  eels,  which,  being  rather  keen  work,  will  just 
suit  your  constitution."  I  had  wit  enough  to  feel  assured 
that  Mr.  O'Gallagher  was  not  to  be  trifled  with,  so  I  took  my 
seat  and  amused  myself  with  listening  to  the  various  lessons 
which  the  boys  came  up  to  say,  and  the  divers  punishments 
inflicted — few  escaped.  At  last,  the  hour  of  recreation  and 
dinner  arrived ;  the  boys  were  dismissed ;  each  seized  his 
basket  containing  his  provisions,  or  ran  home  to  get  his  meal 
with  his  parents.  I  found  myself  sitting  in  the  schoolroom, 
tete-a-tcte  with  Mr.  O'Gallagher,  and  feeling  very  well  inclined 
for  my  dinner.  I  cast  a  wistful  eye  at  my  basket,  but  I  said 
nothing ;  Mr.  O'Gallagher,  who  appeared  to  have  been  in 
thought,  at  last  said — 

"  Mr.  Keene,  you  may  now  go  out  of  school,  and  scream 
till  you're  hoarse,  just  to  make  up  for  lost  time." 

"  May  I  take  my  dinner,  sir  ?  "  inquired  I. 

tf  Is  it  your  dinner  you  mane  ? — to  be  sure  you  may ;  but 

19 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

first,  I'll  just  look  into  the  basket  and  its  contents ;  for  you 
see,  Mr.  Keene,  there  is  some  victuals  that  don't  agree  with 
laming ;  and  if  you  eat  them,  you'll  not  be  fit  for  your  work 
when  your  play-hours  are  over.  What's  easy  of  digestion 
will  do ;  but  what's  bad  for  little  boys'  stomachs  may  get  you 
into  a  scrape,  and  then  it  will  end  in  a  blow-up ;  that  is, 
you'll  have  a  taste  of  the  ferule  or  the  rod — two  assistants  of 
mine,  to  whom  I've  not  yet  had  the  pleasure  of  introducing 
you — all  in  good  time.  If  what  I've  heard  of  you  be  true, 
you  and  they  will  be  better  acquainted  before  long." 

Mr.  O'Gallagher  then  examined  the  contents  of  my  basket ; 
my  aunt  Milly  had  taken  care  that  I  should  be  well  pro- 
vided :  there  was  a  large  paper  of  beef  sandwiches,  a  piece 
of  bread  and  cheese,  and  three  or  four  slices  of  seed-cake. 
Mr.  O'Gallagher  opened  all  the  packages,  and  after  a  pause 
said — 

"Now,  Master  Keene,  d'ye  think  you  would  ever  guess 
how  I  came  by  all  my  laming,  and  what  I  fed  upon  when  it 
was  pumped  into  me  ?  Then  I'll  tell  you ;  it  was  dry  bread, 
with  a  little  bit  of  cheese  when  I  could  get  it,  and  that  wasn't 
often.  Bread  and  cheese  is  the  food  to  make  a  scholar  of  ye  ; 
and  mayhap  one  slice  of  the  cake  mayn't  much  interfere,  so 
take  them  and  run  away  to  the  playground  as  fast  as  you 
can ;  and  d'ye  hear  me,  Master  Keene,  recollect  your  grace 
before  meat — '  For  what  we  have  received,  the  Lord  make 
us  truly  thankful.'  Now,  off  wid  you.  The  rest  of  the  con- 
tents are  confiscated  for  my  sole  use,  and  your  particular 
benefit." 

Mr.  O'Gallagher  grinned  as  he  finished  his  oration ;  and 
he  looked  so  much  like  a  wild  beast,  that  I  was  glad  to  be 
off  as  fast  as  I  could.  I  turned  round  as  I  went  out  of  the 
door,  and  perceived  that  the  sandwiches  were  disappearing 
with  wonderful  rapidity ;  but  I  caught  his  eye :  it  was  like 
that  of  a  tiger's  at  his  meal,  and  I  was  off  at  redoubled 
speed. 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 


CHAPTER  V 

A.S  soon  as  I  gained  the  playground,  which  was,  in  fact, 
nothing  more  than  a  small  piece  of  waste  land,  to  which  we 
had  no  more  claim  than  any  other  people,  I  sat  down  by  a 
post,  and  commenced  my  dinner  off  what  Mr.  O'Gallagher 
had  thought  proper  to  leave  me.  I  was  afraid  of  him,  it  is 
true,  for  his  severity  to  the  other  boys  convinced  me  that  he 
would  have  little  mercy  upon  me  if  I  dared  to  thwart  him  ; 
but  indignation  soon  began  to  obtain  the  mastery  over  my 
fears,  and  I  began  to  consider  if  I  could  not  be  even  with 
him  for  his  barefaced  robbery  of  my  dinner ;  and  then  I 
reflected  whether  it  would  not  be  better  to  allow  him  to 
take  my  food,  If  I  found  out  that  by  so  doing  he  treated  me 
well ;  and  I  resolved,  at  all  events,  to  delay  a  little.  The 
hour  of  play  was  now  over,  and  a  bell  summoned  us  all  to 
school ;  I  went  in  with  the  others,  and  took  my  seat  where 
Mr.  O'Gallagher  had  before  desired  me. 

As  soon  as  all  was  silent,  my  pedagogue  beckoned  me  to 
him. 

"  Now,  Mr.  Keene,"  said  he,  "  you'll  be  so  good  as  to  lend 
me  your  ears — that  is,  to  listen  while  I  talk  to  you  a  little 
bit.  D'ye  know  how  many  roads  there  are  to  laming  ?  Hold 
your  tongue.  I  ask  you  because  I  know  you  don't  know, 
and  because  I'm  going  to  tell  you.  There  are  exactly  three 
roads  :  the  first  is  the  eye,  my  jewel ;  and  if  a  lad  has  a  sharp 
eye  like  yours,  it's  a  great  deal  that  will  get  into  his  head 
by  that  road ;  you'll  know  a  thing  when  you  see  it  again, 
although  you  mayn't  know  your  own  father — that's  a  secret 
only  known  to  your  mother.  The  second  road  to  laming, 
you  spalpeen,  is  the  ear ;  and  if  you  mind  all  people  say, 
and  hear  all  you  can,  you'll  gain  a  great  many  truths,  and 
just  ten  times  as  much  more  in  the  shape  of  lies.  You  see 
the  wheat  and  the  chaff  will  come  together,  and  you  must 
pick  the  latter  out  of  the  former  at  any  seasonable  future 
opportunity.  Now  we  come  to  the  third  road  to  laming, 
which  is  quite  a  different  sort  of  road ;  because,  you  see,  the 
two  first  give  us  little  trouble,  and  we  trot  along  almost 

21 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

whether  we  will  or  not:  the  third  and  grand  road  is  the 
head  itself,  which  requires  the  eye  and  the  ear  to  help  it; 
and  two  other  assistants,  which  we  call  memory  and  applica- 
tion. So  you  see  we  have  the  visual,  then  the  aural,  and  then 
the  mental  roads — three  hard  words  which  you  don't  under- 
stand, and  which  I  shan't  take  the  trouble  to  explain  to  such 
an  animal  as  you  are  ;  for  I  never  throw  away  pearls  to  swine, 
as  the  saying  is.  Now  then,  Mr.  Keene,  we  must  come  to 
another  part  of  our  history.  As  there  are  three  roads  to 
laming,  so  there  are  three  manes  or  implements  by  which 
boys  are  stimulated  to  larn :  the  first  is  the  ruler,  which  you 
saw  me  shy  at  the  thick  skull  of  Johnny  Target,  and  you 
see'd  what  a  rap  it  gave  him ;  well,  then,  the  second  is  the 
ferule — a  thing  you  never  heard  of,  perhaps  ;  but  I'll  show  it 
you ;  here  it  is,"  continued  Mr.  O'Gallagher,  producing  a 
sort  of  flat  wooden  ladle,  with  a  hole  in  the  centre  of  it. 
"  The  ruler  is  for  the  head,  as  you  have  seen ;  the  ferule  is 
for  the  hand.  You  have  seen  me  use  the  ruler ;  now  I'll 
show  you  what  I  do  with  the  ferule." 

"You,  Tommy  Goskin,  come  here,  sir." 

Tommy  Goskin  put  down  his  book,  and  came  up  to  his 
master  with  a  good  deal  of  doubt  in  his  countenance. 

"  Tommy  Goskin,  you  didn't  say  your  lesson  well  to- 
day." 

"  Yes,  I  did,  Mr.  O'Gallagher,"  replied  Tommy  ;  "  you  said 
I  did  yourself." 

"Well  then,  sir,  you  didn't  say  it  well  yesterday,"  con- 
tinued Mr.  O'Gallagher. 

"  Yes,  I  did,  sir,"  replied  the  boy,  whimpering. 

"  And  is  it  you  who  dares  to  contradict  me  ? "  cried  Mr. 
O'Gallagher ;  "  at  all  events,  you  won't  say  it  well  to-morrow  ; 
so  hold  out  your  right  hand." 

Poor  Tommy  held  it  out,  and  roared  lustily  at  the  first 
blow,  wringing  his  fingers  with  the  smart. 

"Now  your  left  hand,  sir;  fair  play  is  a  jewel;  always 
carry  the  dish  even." 

Tommy  received  a  blow  on  his  left  hand,  which  was  fol- 
lowed up  witli  similar  demonstrations  of  suffering. 

"  There,  sir,  you  may  go  now,"  said  Mr.  O'Gallagher ; 
"and  mind  you  don't  do  it  again,  or  else  there'll  be  a 
blow-up.  And  now,  Master  Keene,  we  come  to  the  third 

22 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

and  last,  which  is  the  birch  for  the  tail — here  it  is — have 
you  ever  had  a  taste  ?  " 

"  No,  sir,"  replied  I. 

"  Well,  then,  you  have  that  pleasure  to  come,  and  come 
it  will,  I  don't  doubt,  if  you  and  I  are  a  few  days  longer 
acquainted.  Let  me  see " 

Here  Mr.  O'Gallagher  looked  round  the  school,  as  if  to 
find  a  culprit ;  but  the  boys,  aware  of  what  was  going  on, 
kept  their  eyes  so  attentively  to  their  books,  that  he  could 
not  discover  one ;  at  last  he  singled  out  a  fat  chubby  lad. 

"Walter  Puddock,  come  here,  sir." 

Walter  Puddock  came  accordingly;  evidently  he  gave  him- 
self up  for  lost. 

"  Walter  Puddock,  I  just  have  been  telling  Master  Keene 
that  you're  the  best  Latin  scholar  in  the  whole  school.  Now, 
sir,  don't  make  me  out  to  be  a  liar — do  me  credit, — or,  by 
the  blood  of  the  O' Gallaghers,  I'll  flog  ye  till  you're  as  thin 
as  a  herring.  What's  the  Latin  for  a  cocked  hat,  as  the 
Roman  gentlemen  wore  with  their  fogeys  ?  " 

Walter  Puddock  hesitated  a  few  seconds,  and  then,  without 
venturing  a  word  of  remonstrance,  let  down  his  trousers. 

"  See  now  the  guilty  tief,  he  knows  what's  coming.  Shame 
upon  you,  Walter  Puddock,  to  disgrace  your  preceptor  so, 
anj  make  him  tell  a  lie  to  young  Master  Keene.  Where's 
Phil  Mooney  ?  Come  along,  sir,  and  hoist  Walter  Puddock  : 
it's  no  laming  that  I  can  drive  into  you,  Phil,  but  it's  sartain 
sure  that  by  your  manes  I  drive  a  little  into  the  other  boys." 

Walter  Puddock,  as  soon  as  he  was  on  the  back  of  Phil 
Mooney,  received  a  dozen  cuts  with  the  rod,  well  laid  on. 
He  bore  it  without  flinching,  although  the  tears  rolled  down 
his  cheeks. 

"There,  Walter  Puddock,  I  told  you  it  would  end  in  a 
blow-up ;  go  to  your  dictionary,  you  dirty  blackguard,  and  do 
more  credit  to  your  education  and  superior  instruction  from 
a  certain  person  who  shall  be  nameless." 

Mr.  O'Gallagher  laid  the  rod  on  one  side,  and  then  con- 
tinued— 

"Now,  Master  Keene,  I've  just  shown  you  the  three  roads 
to  laming,  and  also  the  three  implements  to  persuade  little 
boys  to  larn ;  if  you  don't  travel  very  fast  by  the  three  first, 
why,  you  will  be  followed  up  very  smartly  by  the  three  last — 

23 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

a  nod's  as  good  as  a  wink  to  a  blind  horse,  any  day.  And 
one  thing  more,  you  little  spalpeen,  mind  that  there's  more 
mustard  to  the  sandwiches  to-morrow,  or  else  it  will  end  in 
a  blow-up.  Now  you've  got  the  whole  theory  of  the  art  of 
tuition,  Master  Keene ;  please  the  pigs,  we'll  commence  with 
the  practice  to-morrow." 

My  worthy  pedagogue  did  not  address  me  any  more  during 
that  day ;  the  school  broke  up  at  five,  and  I  made  haste 
home,  thinking  over  all  that  had  passed  in  the  schoolroom. 

My  granny  and  mother  were  both  anxious  to  know  what 
had  passed ;  the  first  hoped  that  I  had  been  flogged,  the 
second  that  I  had  not;  but  I  refused  to  communicate.  I 
assumed  a  haughty,  indifferent  air ;  for  I  was  angry  with  my 
mother,  and  as  for  my  grandmother,  I  hated  her.  Aunt 
Milly,  however,  when  we  were  alone,  did  not  question  me  in 
vain.  I  told  her  all  that  had  passed ;  she  bade  me  be  of 
good  heart,  and  that  I  should  not  be  ill-treated  if  she  could 
help  it. 

I  replied,  that  if  I  were  ill-treated,  I  would  have  my 
revenge  somehow  or  another.  I  then  went  down  to  the 
barracks,  to  the  rooms  of  Captain  Bridgeman,  and  told  him 
what  had  occurred.  He  advised  me  to  laugh  at  the  ruler, 
the  ferule,  and  the  rod.  He  pointed  out  to  me  the  necessity 
of  my  going  to  school  and  learning  to  read  and  write ;  at 
the  same  time  was  very  indignant  at  the  conduct  of  Mr. 
O'Gallagher,  and  told  me  to  resist  in  every  way  any  injustice 
or  tyranny,  and  that  I  should  be  sure  of  his  support  and 
assistance,  provided  that  I  did  pay  attention  to  my  studies. 

Fortified  by  the  advice  and  protection  of  my  two  great 
friends,  I  made  up  my  mind  that  I  would  learn  as  fast  as  I 
could,  but  if  treated  ill,  that  I  would  die  a  martyr,  rather 
than  yield  to  oppression;  at  all  events,  I  would,  if  possible, 
play  Mr.  O'Gallagher  a  trick  for  every  flogging  or  punish- 
ment I  received ;  and  with  this  laudable  resolution  I  was 
soon  fast  asleep,  too  fast  even  to  dream. 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 


CHAPTER  YI 

W  HEN  my  aunt  Milly  called  me  in  the  morning,  that  I 
might  be  up  and  have  my  breakfast  in  time  for  school,  I 
felt  as  if  two  years  had  passed  over  my  head  during  the 
last  twenty-four  hours.  I  had  never  witnessed  tyranny  until 
the  day  before,  and  my  blood  was  heated  with  indignation : 
I  felt  myself  capable  of  anything  and  everything. 

My  anger  was  about  as  great  towards  my  mother  and 
grandmother,  for  having  sent  me  to  such  a  place,  as  it  was 
against  Mr.  O'Gallagher.  Instead  of  going  up  and  kissing 
my  mother,  I  paid  no  attention  to  either  her  or  my  grand- 
mother, much  to  the  mortification  of  the  former  and  surprise 
of  the  latter,  who  said,  in  a  very  cross  manner,  "Where's 
your  manners,  child  ?  why  don't  you  say  good  morning  ?  " 

"  Because  I  have  not  been  long  enough  at  school  to  learn 
manners,  granny." 

"Come  and  kiss  me  before  you  go,  my  child,"  said  my 
mother. 

"  No,  mother ;  you  have  sent  me  to  school  to  be  beat, 
and  I  never  will  kiss  you  again." 

"  Naughty,  good-for-nothing  boy  !  "  exclaimed  my  granny  ; 
"  what  a  bad  heart  you  must  have." 

"  No,  that  he  has  not,"  cried  my  aunt  Milly.  "  Sister 
should  have  inquired  what  sort  of  a  school  it  was  before 
she  sent  him." 

"  I  made  every  inquiry,"  replied  my  granny ;  "  he  can't 
play  tricks  there." 

"Won't  I?"  cried  I,  "but  I  will ;  and  not  only  there 
but  here.  I'll  be  even  with  you  all ;  yes,  I'll  be  even  with 
you,  granny,  if  I  die  for  it." 

"  Why,  you  audacious  wretch,  I've  a  great  mind  to " 

"  I  dare  say  you  have,  but  recollect  I  can  bite ;  you'd 
better  be  quiet,  granny,  or,  as  the  master  says,  '  it  will  end 
in  a  blow-up/  " 

"  Only  hear  the  little  wretch,"  said  my  granny,  lifting  up 
her  hands;  "I  shall  see  you  hanged  yet,  you  ungrateful 
child." 

2$ 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

"  I'm  not  ungrateful,"  replied  I,  throwing  my  arms  round 
Milly's  neck,  and  kissing  her  with  fervour  ;  "  I  can  love  those 
who  love  me." 

"  Then  you  don't  love  me  ? "  said  my  mother  reproach- 
fully. 

"  I  did  yesterday,  but  I  don't  now ;  but  it's  time  for  me 
to  go,  aunt ;  is  my  basket  ready  ?  I  don't  want  father  to 
take  me  to  school,  I  can  do  without  him ;  and  when  I  don't 
choose  to  go  any  more,  I  won't ;  recollect  that,  mother." 
So  saying,  I  seized  my  basket  and  quitted  the  room.  There 
was  a  long  consultation,  I  found,  after  my  departure :  my 
mother,  when  my  aunt  had  informed  her  of  Mr.  O'Gallagher' s 
conduct,  Avished  to  remove  me  instantly ;  my  grandmother 
insisted  upon  it  that  there  was  not  a  word  of  truth  in  what 
I  had  said,  and  threatened  that  if  I  did  not  remain  at  that 
very  school,  she  would  leave  Chatham,  and  take  my  aunt 
with  her.  As  my  mother  could  not  part  with  Aunt  Milly, 
the  consequence  was,  that  my  grandmother  gained  the  day. 

I  arrived  in  good  time,  and  took  my  seat  near  my  master. 
I  preferred  doing  this,  as  I  had  had  a  long  conversation 
with  Captain  Bridgeman,  who  told  me  that,  although  Mr. 
O'Gallagher  had  put  the  ruler  down  as  punishment  No.  1, 
the  ferule  No.  2,  and  the  birch  as  No.  3,  and  of  course  they 
were  considered  to  be  worse  as  the  number  rose,  that  he 
considered  it  to  be  the  very  contrary,  as  he  had  had  them 
all  well  applied  when  he  was  at  school ;  he  advised  me, 
therefore,  never  to  hold  out  my  hand  to  the  ferule,  by  which 
refusal  I  should,  of  course,  be  flogged ;  but  he  assured  me 
that  the  birch,  especially  when  it  is  given  often,  was  a  mere 
nothing.  Now  I  considered  that  the  surest  way  to  avoid 
the  ruler  was  to  sit  close  to  my  master,  who  could  then 
have  no  pretence  for  sending  it  at  my  head :  the  fact  was, 
I  had  determined  to  save  the  more  noble  portions  of  my 
body,  and  leave  Mr.  O'Gallagher  to  do  what  he  pleased  with 
the  other :  to  do  him  justice,  he  lost  no  time. 

"  Come  here,  Mr.  Keene,"  said  he,  "  where's  your  manners  ? 
why  don't  you  say  good  morning  to  your  preceptor?  Can 
you  read  at  all  ?  " 

"  No,  sir." 

"  D'ye  know  your  letters  ?  " 

"  Some  of  them— I  think  I  do,  sir." 

26 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

"Some  of  them — I  suppose  about  two  out  of  six-and- 
twenty.  It's  particular  attention  that's  been  paid  to  your 
education,  I  perceive ;  you've  nothing  to  unlearn  anyhow, 
that's  something.  Now,  sir,  do  you  think  that  a  classical 
scholar  and  a  gentleman  born  like  me,  is  to  demane  myself 
by  hearing  you  puzzle  at  the  alphabet?  You're  quite  mis- 
taken, Mr.  Keene  ;  you  must  gain  your  first  elements  second- 
hand ;  so,  where's  Timothy  Ruddel  ?  You,  Timothy  Ruddel, 
you'll  just  teach  this  young  Master  Keene  his  whole  alphabet, 
and  take  care,  at  the  same  time,  that  you  know  your  own 
lessons,  or  it  will  end  in  a  blow-up ;  and  you,  Master  Keene, 
if  you  have  not  larnt  your  whole  alphabet  perfect  by  dinner 
time,  why,  you'll  have  a  small  taste  of  No.  2,  just  as  a  hint 
to  what's  coming  next.  Go  along,  you  little  ignorant  black- 
guard ;  and  you,  Timothy  Ruddel,  look  out  for  a  taste  of 
No.  3,  if  you  don't  larn  him  and  yourself  all  at  once,  and  at 
the  same  time." 

I  was  very  well  pleased  with  this  arrangement ;  I  had 
resolved  to  learn,  and  I  was  doubly  stimulated  to  learn  now, 
to  save  poor  Timothy  Ruddel  from  an  unjust  punishment. 

In  the  three  hours  I  was  quite  perfect,  and  Timothy 
Ruddel,  who  was  called  up  before  me,  was  also  able  to  say 
his  lesson  without  a  blunder,  very  much  to  the  disappoint- 
ment of  Mr.  O'Gallagher,  who  observed,  "  So  you've  slipped 
through  my  fingers,  have  you,  this  time,  Master  Timothy  ? 
Never  mind,  I'll  have  you  yet ;  and,  moreover,  there's  Master 
Keene  to  go  through  the  fiery  furnace."  Just  before  dinner 
time  I  was  called  up ;  with  my  memory  of  many  of  the 
letters,  and  the  assistance  I  had  received  from  Timothy 
Ruddel,  I  felt  very  confident. 

"  What  letter's  that,  sir  ?  "  said  Mr.  O'Gallagher. 

"A,  B,  C,  D,  E." 

"  You  little  blackguard,  I'll  dodge  you ;  you  think  to 
escape,  do  you  ?  " 

«  V,  X,  P,  O." 

Much  to  Mr.  O'Gallagher's  surprise,  I  said  them  all  with- 
out one  mistake.  Instead  of  commendation  I  received  abuse. 
"  By  all  the  powers,"  exclaimed  my  pedagogue,  "  but  every- 
thing seems  to  go  wrong  to-day ;  my  hand  has  been  com- 
pletely idle ;  this  will  never  do.  Didn't  you  tell  me,  Mr. 
Keene,  that  you  didn't  know  your  letters  ?  " 

27 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

"  I  said  I  knew  some  of  them,  sir." 

"  If  my  memory  is  correct,  Mr.  Keene,  you  told  me  that 
you  knew  two  out  of  twenty-six." 

"  No,  sir,  you  said  that." 

"That's  just  as  much  as  to  tell  me,  your  preceptor,  a 
classical  scholar,  and  a  Milesian  gentleman  to  boot,  that  I 
lie,  for  which  I  intend  to  have  satisfaction,  Mr.  Keene,  I 
assure  you.  You're  guilty  in  two  counts,  as  they  say  at  the 
Old  Bailey,  where  you'll  be  called  up  to  some  of  these  days, 
as  sure  as  you  stand  there ;  one  count  is  in  telling  me  a  lie, 
in  saying  you  did  not  know  your  alphabet,  when  it's  quite 
clear  that  you  did ;  and,  secondly,  in  giving  me  the  lie,  by 
stating  that  I  said  what  you  said.  You  thought  to  escape 
me,  but  you're  mistaken,  Mr.  Keene ;  so  now,  if  you  please, 
we  will  just  have  a  taste  of  No.  2.  Hould  out  your  hand, 
Mr.  Keene  :  d'ye  hear  me,  sir?  hould  out  your  hand." 

But  this  I  positively  refused  to  do.  "  You  won't,  won't 
you  ?  Well,  then,  we  must  increase  the  punishment  for 
your  contempt  of  court,  and  at  once  commence  with  No.  3, 
which  I  had  intended  to  reserve  till  to-morrow.  Come 
along,  Phil  Mooney,  there's  fresh  mate  for  you  to  carry, 
and  come  out,  No.  3,  here's  fresh  ground  for  you  to  travel 
over." 

Phil  Mooney  and  the  birch  soon  made  their  appearance  : 
I  was  hoisted  by  the  one  and  scourged  by  the  other. 

The  first  taste  of  the  birch  is  anything  but  agreeable :  I 
could  only  compare  it  to  the  dropping  of  molten  lead.  I 
tried  all  I  could  to  prevent  crying  out,  but  it  was  impossible, 
and  at  last  I  roared  like  a  mad  bull ;  and  I  was  as  mad  as  a 
bull,  and  as  dangerous.  Could  I  have  picked  up  any  weapon 
at  the  moment  that  I  was  dropped  from  the  shoulders  of 
Phil  Mooney,  it  would  have  gone  hard  with  Mr.  O'Gallagher. 
My  rage  was  greater  than  my  agony.  I  stood  where  I  had 
been  landed,  my  chest  heaving,  my  teeth  set  fast,  and  my 
apparel  still  in  disorder.  The  school  was  dismissed,  and  I 
was  left  alone  with  the  savage  pedagogue,  who  immediately 
took  up  my  basket,  and  began  to  rummage  the  contents. 

"  Make  yourself  dacent,  Mr.  Keene,  and  don't  be  shocking 
my  modesty,  and  taking  away  my  appetite.  Did  you  mention 
the  mustard,  as  I  desired  you  ?  Upon  my  faith,  but  you're  a 
nice  boy,  and  do  justice  to  the  representations  of  your  grand- 

28 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

mother ;  and  when  you  see  her  you  may  tell  her  that  I  did 
not  forget  the  promise  she  exacted  from  me.  You  forgot 
all  about  the  mustard,  you  little  blackguard.  If  Phil  Mooney 
was  here  I  would  give  you  another  taste  to  freshen  your 
memory  for  to-morrow ;  however,  to-morrow  will  do  as  well, 
if  the  mistake's  not  corrected.  Here,  take  your  victuals,  and 
good  appetite  to  you,  you  little  monster  of  iniquity." 

Mr.  O'Gallagher  tossed  me  some  bread,  but  this  time 
reserved  the  cheese  for  his  own  eating.  I  had  adjusted  my 
dress,  and  I  therefore  left  the  schoolroom.  I  could  not  sit 
down  without  pain,  so  I  leant  against  a  post ;  the  bread  re- 
mained in  my  hand  untouched ;  had  it  been  the  greatest 
delicacy  in  the  world  I  could  not  have  tasted  a  morsel.  I  was 
giddy  from  excess  of  feeling,  my  thoughts  were  rapidly  chas- 
ing each  other,  when  I  heard  a  voice  close  to  me.  I  looked 
round ;  it  was  Walter  Puddock,  who  had  been  flogged  the 
day  before. 

"  Never  mind,  Keene,"  said  he  kindly ;  "  it  hurts  at  first, 
but  the  more  you  get  it  the  less  you  care  for  it.  I  don't  mind 
it  a  bit  now  ;  I  cries,  because  he  goes  on  flogging  till  you  do, 
and  it's  no  use  having  more  than  you  can  help." 

"  I  didn't  deserve  it,"  replied  I. 

"  That's  not  necessary ;  you'll  get  it,  as  we  all  do,  whether 
you  deserve  it  or  not." 

"  Well,  I'll  try  to  deserve  it  in  future,"  replied  I,  clench- 
ing my  fist ;  "  I'll  be  even  with  him." 

"  Why,  what  can  you  do  ?" 

"Wait  a  little,  and  you'll  see,"  said  I,  walking  away,  for 
an  idea  had  come  into  my  head  which  I  wished  to  follow  up. 

Soon  afterwards  the  bell  rang,  and  we  returned  to  the 
schoolroom.  I  was  put  under  the  tuition  of  another  boy, 
and  took  care  to  learn  my  lesson.  Whether  it  was  that  he 
was  tired  with  the  exercise,  for  he  flogged  and  feruled  a 
dozen  during  that  afternoon,  or  that  he  thought  that  my 
morning  dose  had  been  sufficient,  I  received  no  more  punish- 
ment on  that  day. 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 


CHAPTER    VII 

.A.S  soon  as  school  was  dismissed,  I  went  straight  to  the 
rooms  of  Captain  Bridgeman,  and  told  him  how  I  had  been 
treated.  As  soon  as  he  heard  it,  he  exclaimed,  "  This  is 
really  too  bad ;  I  will  go  with  you,  and  I  will  consult  with 
your  aunt  Amelia." 

It  so  happened  that  Aunt  Milly  was  alone  in  the  shop  when 
we  arrived,  and  after  a  detail  of  what  had  passed,  she  told 
Captain  Bridgeman  that  my  grandmother  had  put  me  to  that 
school  out  of  feelings  of  ill-will  for  the  tricks  I  had  played, 
and  had  threatened  that  if  I  were  removed  she  would  leave 
Chatham  and  take  her  away  with  her.  My  mother  required 
assistance  in  the  shop,  and  was  afraid  to  affront  my  grand- 
mother, who  was  a  very  dictatorial,  positive  old  woman,  and 
would  certainly  keep  her  resolution ;  but  that  rather  than  I 
should  be  treated  in  such  a  barbarous  manner,  she  would 
insist  upon  my  mother  taking  me  away,  or  would  herself 
leave  the  place. 

"  It  would  never  do  for  you  to  leave  us,  Miss  Amelia," 
replied  Captain  Bridgeman  ;  "  there  are  but  few  attractions 
in  this  place,  and  we  cannot  spare  you  ;  the  whole  corps 
would  go  into  deep  mourning." 

"  I  don't  want  to  leave  the  school,"  interrupted  I ;  "  I 
would  not  leave  it  till  I  am  revenged,  for  all  the  world. 
Now,  I'll  tell  you  what  I  want  to  do — and  do  it  I  will,  if 
he  cuts  me  to  pieces.  He  eats  my  sandwiches,  and  tells  me 
if  there's  not  more  mustard  to-morrow,  he'll  flog  me.  He 
shall  have  plenty  of  mustard,  but  he  shall  have  something 
else.  What  can  I  put  into  the  sandwiches  so  as  to  half 
kill  him  ?  " 

"  Not  a  bad  idea,  my  little  Percival,"  said  Captain  Bridge- 
man ;  "  I'll  just  ask  the  doctor  how  much  calomel  a  man  may 
take  without  a  coroner's  inquest  being  required." 

"  Yes,  that  will  do  nicely,"  said  my  aunt ;  "  I'll  take  care 
he  shall  have  mustard  enough  not  to  perceive  it." 

"Well,  I'll  go  to  the  barracks  and  be  back  directly,"  said 
Captain  Bridgeman. 

30 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

"  And  I'm  ready  for  the  flogging  as  soon  as  the  sandwiches 
are  down  his  throat,"  replied  I,  laughing;  "I  don't  care  a 
fig  for  it." 

Captain  Bridgeman  soon  returned  with  forty  grains  of 
calomel,  which  he  delivered  into  aunt  Milly's  hands.  "That 
is  as  much  as  we  dare  give  the  strongest  man  without 
running  great  danger ;  we'll  try  the  effect  of  that  upon  him, 
and  if  he  don't  improve,  I  think  I  shall  go  up  to  the  school 
myself  and  threaten  him." 

"  As  for  that,"  replied  Aunt  Milly,  "  I'm  sure  that  sister,  iit 
she  hears  what's  going  on,  as  she  cannot  take  Percival  away, 
Avill  order  her  husband,  Ben,  to  go  up  and  thrash  him." 

"  Not  a  bad  idea,  Miss  Amelia ;  we'll  try  that  if  we  find  it 
necessary ;  at  all  events,  we'll  see  who  can  persecute  most." 

"  Granny  has  told  him  to  treat  me  ill,"  said  I ;  "  that's  very 
clear,  from  what  he  said ;  never  mind,  I'll  make  her  sorry  for 
it  yet." 

"  Oh,  Percival !  you  must  not  do  anything  to  granny,"  said 
Aunt  Milly,  looking  very  archly  ;  "  I  must  not  hear  anything 
of  the  kind." 

The  next  morning  I  set  off  with  the  full  conviction  that  I 
should  be  flogged  before  night,  and  notwithstanding  that,  as 
full  of  joy  as  if  I  was  going  to  the  fair. 

The  morning  passed  as  usual ;  I  said  my  lesson,  but  not 
very  well ;  I  was  thinking  so  much  of  my  anticipated 
revenge,  that  I  could  not  pay  attention  to  my  teacher,  who 
was,  as  usual,  one  of  the  boys. 

"Master  Keene,"  said  Mr.  O' Gallagher,  "we'll  let  the 
account  stand  over  till  the  evening,  and  then  I'll  give  you  a 
receipt  in  full.  I  may  have  one  or  two  lines  to  add  to  it 
before  the  sun  goes  down ;  you'll  not  escape  me  this  time, 
anyhow." 

The  boys  went  out  at  the  dinner  hour,  leaving  me,  as 
before,  to  wait  for  my  basket,  after  the  tyrant  had  helped 
himself.  I  stood  by  him  in  silence  while  he  was  rummaging 
its  contents. 

"Now,  Mr.  Keene,  I'll  see  if  you've  remembered  my 
particular  injunction  relative  to  the  mustard." 

"I  told  my  aunt  to  put  more  mustard,  sir,"  replied  I 
humbly,  "  it's  she  that  cuts  the  sandwiches." 

"Well,  then,  if  your  aunt  has  not  complied  with  your 

31 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

request,    see    if  I    don't   flay  you   alive,  you    little    imp   of 
abomination." 

The  sandwiches  were  pulled  out  of  the  paper  and  tasted. 
"  Down  on  your  knees,  Mr.  Keene,  and  thank  all  the  blessed 
saints  that  your  aunt  has  saved  you  from  at  least  one-half  of 
what  I  intended  to  administer  to  you  this  blessed  afternoon, 
for  she  has  doubled  the  mustard,  you  tief,"  said  Mr.  O'Galla- 
gher,  speaking  with  his  mouth  as  full  as  it  could  hold.  Down 
went  sandwich  after  sandwich,  until  they  had  all  disappeared. 
Oh  !  what  joy  was  mine  !  I  could  have  tossed  up  my  cap  and 
leapt  in  the  air.  Having  received  the  bread  and  cheese,  for 
he  permitted  me  to  have  the  latter  on  this  occasion,  I  went 
out  and  enjoyed  my  meal,  delighted  with  Mr.  O'Gallagher's 
having  fallen  into  the  trap  I  had  laid  for  him. 

The  bell  summoned  us  in,  and  all  went  on  as  usual  for  the 
first  two  hours,  when  I  thought  Mr.  O'Gallagher  changed 
countenance  and  looked  very  pale.  He  continued,  however, 
to  hear  the  lessons,  until  at  last  I  perceived  him  pass  his 
hand  up  and  down  and  across  his  stomach,  as  if  he  had  had  a 
twinge ;  a  few  minutes  afterwards,  he  compressed  his  thick 
lips,  and  then  put  his  hands  to  his  abdomen. 

"  Ah !  he  begins  to  feel  it  now,"  thought  I ;  and  sure 
enough  he  did ;  for  the  pain  increased  so  rapidly  that  he  lost 
all  patience,  and  vented  his  feelings  by  beating  with  his 
ruler,  on  the  head,  the  whole  class  of  boys  standing  up  before 
him,  till  one  or  two  dropped  down,  stunned  with  the  blows. 
At  last  he  dropped  the  ruler,  and,  pressing  both  hands  to  his 
stomach,  he  rolled  himself  backwai'ds  and  forwards,  and  then 
twisted  and  distorted  his  legs  till  he  could  bear  the  pain  no 
longer ;  and  he  gave  vent  to  a  tremendous  Irish  howl — 
grinning  and  grinding  his  teeth  for  a  few  seconds,  and  then 
howling  again,  writhing  and  twisting  in  evident  agony — • 
while  the  perspiration  ran  off  his  forehead. 

"  Och  !  murder  !  I'm  poisoned  sure.     Lord  save  my  sinful 
soul !     Oh — oh — oh  !    eh — eh — eh  !    mercy,    mercy,    mercy, 
mercy,  mercy  !     Oh,  holy  St.  Patrick  !     I'm  kilt  entirely  ;  "- 
and  so  subdued  was  he  at  last  by  the  pain,  that  he  burst  out 
into  a  flood  of  tears,  crying  and  roaring  like  a  child. 

Again  the  paroxysms  came  on  —  "  Murder,  murder, 
murder ! "  shrieked  the  wretch  at  the  highest  pitch  of 
his  voice,  so  that  he  was  heard  at  some  distance,  and  some 

32 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

of    the    neighbours    came    in    to    inquire    what    was    the 
matter. 

Mr.  O'Gallagher  was  now  in  a  fainting  state,  and  leaning 
against  the  table,  he  could  merely  say  in  a  low  voice,  "  A 
doctor — quick — a  doctor." 

The  neighbours  perceiving  how  ill  he  was,  led  him  out  of 
the  schoolroom  into  his  own  apartment,  one  going  for  a 
doctor,  and  the  others  telling  the  boys  they  might  all  go 
home,  a  notice  of  which  they  gladly  availed  themselves. 

I  need  hardly  say,  that  I  made  all  the  haste  I  could  to 
communicate  the  successful  result  of  my  trick  to  Milly  and 
Captain  Bridgeman.  The  medical  man  who  was  summoned 
gave  Mr.  O'Gallagher  some  very  active  medicine,  which 
assisted  to  rid  him  of  the  calomel ;  of  his  having  taken  which, 
of  course,  the  medical  man  was  ignorant.  The  violence  of  the 
dose  was,  however,  so  great,  and  left  him  in  such  a  state,  that 
Mr.  O'Gallagher  could  not  leave  his  room  for  three  days,  nor 
resume  his  seat  in  the  school  until  a  week  had  elapsed,  during 
which  I  remained  at  home  plotting  still  further  mischief. 

Mr.  O'Gallagher  resumed  his  occupations,  and  I  was  again 
sent  off  to  school.  When  I  entered  the  schoolroom  I  found 
him  looking  very  pale  and  cadaverous ;  as  soon  as  he  saw  me 
his  lips  were  drawn  apart,  and  he  showed  his  large  white 
teeth,  reminding  me  of  the  grinning  of  a  hyena ;  he  did  not, 
however,  say  anything  to  me.  My  studies  were  resumed  ;  I 
said  my  lesson  perfectly,  but  was  fully  prepared  for  punish- 
ment. I  was,  however,  agreeably  disappointed ;  he  did  not 
punish  either  me  or  any  of  the  other  boys. 

I  afterwards  found  out  the  reason  was,  that,  although 
necessity  compelled  him  to  re-open  his  school  as  soon  as  he 
could,  he  was  too  weak  to  undergo  the  fatigue  of  following 
up  his  favourite  diversion. 

When  the  dinner  hour  arrived,  and  the  boys  were  dismissed, 
I  waited  patiently  to  see  what  he  would  do  with  my  basket, 
which  stood  beside  him.  "  Take  your  basket,  and  eat  your 
dinner,  Master  Keene,"  said  he,  walking  out  of  the  school- 
room into  his  own  apartments.  I  could  not  help  saying, 
"  Won't  you  have  the  sandwiches,  sir  ?  " 

He  turned  round  and  gave  me  a  look  so  penetrating  and 
so  diabolical,  that  I  felt  sure  that  he  knew  to  whom  he  had 
been  indebted  for  his  late  severe  illness. 

33 


PRRCIVAL  KEENE 

From  this  day  forward  Mr.  O'G.  never  interfered  with 
the  contents  of  my  basket,  and  I  had  my  dinner  all  to  myself. 
The  shock  which  had  been  given  to  his  constitution  was  so 
great,  that  for  three  or  four  months  he  may  be  said  to  have 
crawled  to  his  schoolroom,  and  I  really  began  to  think  that 
the  affair  would  turn  out  more  serious  than  was  intended ; 
but  gradually  he  regained  his  strength,  and  as  he  recovered 
his  vigour,  so  did  he  resume  his  severity. 

But  I  was  a  great  gainer  during  the  three  or  four  months 
of  quiet  which  reigned  during  Mr.  O'Gallagher's  convales- 
cence. Since  I  have  been  grown  up,  I  have  often  thought, 
and  am  indeed  confirmed  in  my  opinion,  that  we  lose  rather 
than  gain  by  being  educated  at  too  early  an  age.  Commence 
with  one  child  at  three  years,  and  with  another  at  seven  years 
old,  and  in  ten  years,  the  one  whose  brain  was  left  fallow 
even  till  seven  years  old,  will  be  quite  as  far,  if  not  farther, 
advanced  than  the  child  whose  intellect  was  prematurely 
forced  at  the  earlier  age  ;  this  is  a  fact  which  I  have  since 
seen  proved  in  many  instances,  and  it  certainly  was  corro- 
borated in  mine. 

In  six  months  I  could  read  and  write  very  fairly,  and  had 
commenced  arithmetic;  true,  I  was  stimulated  on  by  the 
advice  of  Captain  Bridgeman,  the  love  I  bore  my  aunt  Milly, 
and  the  hatred  which  I  had  for  my  master,  which  made 
me  resolve  that  I  would  not  deserve  punishment  on  that 
score. 

It  was  in  May  that  I  administered  the  dose  to  Mr  O' Gal- 
lagher ;  in  September  he  was  quite  well  again,  and  the  ruler, 
the  ferule,  and  the  rod  were  triumphantly  at  work.  It  is 
useless  to  say  how  often  I  was  punished,  for  it  was  every  day ; 
always  once,  sometimes  twice ;  I  became  completely  callous 
to  it,  nay,  laughed  at  it,  but  my  mind  was  ever  at  work  upon 
some  mischief,  in  the  way  of  retaliation. 

I  put  little  pancakes  of  cobbler's  wax  on  Mr.  O'Gallagher's 
throne,  and  he  had  the  pleasure  of  finding  himself  stuck  fast 
by  the  breeches  when  he  rose  up  to  punish.  I  anointed  the 
handle  of  the  ferule  and  rod  with  birdlime ;  put  dead  cats 
under  the  claret  cases  which  composed  his  seat  of  authority, 
so  that  the  smell  would  drive  him  distracted  before  he  found 
it  out.  I  drew  up  with  a  squirt  all  the  ink  which  was  in  the 
inkstands  fixed  in  the  writing-desks,  so  as  not  to  be  taken  out 

34 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

of  the  sockets,  and  made  good  the  deficiency  with  water, 
which  put  him  to  no  little  expense. 

I  once  made  him  almost  frantic,  by  rubbing  his  handker- 
chief, which  always  lay  by  his  side,  and  with  which  he  was 
accustomed  to  wipe  his  face  every  five  minutes  (for  he  was 
profuse  in  his  perspiration),  with  what  is  called  cow-itch  :  not 
being  aware  of  what  was  the  cause,  he  wiped  his  face  more 
and  more,  until  he  was  as  red  as  a  peony,  and  the  itching 
became  intolerable. 

On  such  occasions  he  never  inquired  who  was  the  party, 
but  called  me  and  Phil  Mooney.  I,  on  the  other  hand,  never 
said  a  word  in  way  of  expostulation.  I  took  my  flogging, 
which  was  as  severe  as  he  could  give  it,  as  a  matter  of  course, 
quite  satisfied  with  the  exchange. 

As  Walter  Puddock  had  told  me,  and  as  I  have  no  doubt 
the  Eton  boys  will  confirm,  after  a  certain  quantity  of  flagel- 
lations, the  skin  becomes  so  hard  as  to  make  the  punishment 
almost  a  matter  of  indifference,  and  so  I  found  it.  So  passed 
the  time  until  the  month  of  November,  when  I  was  fully 
enabled  to  pay  off  my  worthy  pedagogue  for  all  that  I  was 
indebted  to  him. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

J_  HE  boys  had  been  saving  up  all  their  money  to  purchase 
fireworks  for  the  celebrated  5th  of  November — a  day  on 
which  it  was  said  that  certain  persons,  finding  it  impossible 
to  reform  the  Lords  and  Commons,  had  determined  to  get 
rid  of  them  at  once  :  why  they  have  not  been  in  similar 
danger  every  year  since  the  first  attempt  was  made,  I  know 
not ;  certain  it  is,  that  it  is  the  only  reform  measure  that 
can  ever  be  effectual.  Guy  Fawkes  and  his  confederates, 
whether  Popish  or  Protestant,  from  their  disregard  of  human 
life,  certainly  proved  themselves  the  founders  of  a  party,  still 
existing,  whose  motto  is,  "  Measures,  and  not  Men." 

But  to  proceed  :  Mr.  O'Gallagher  had  never  before  at- 
tempted to  interfere  with  the  vested  rights  of  urchins  on 
that  day :  being,  however,  in  a  most  particularly  irascible 
humour,  instead  of  a  whole,  he  made  it  known  that  there 

35 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

would  only  be  a  half-holiday,  and  we  were  consequently  all 
called  in  for  morning  lessons,  instead  of  carrying  about,  as  we 
had  intended,  the  effigy  of  the  only  true  reformer  that  ever 
existed  in  this  country. 

This  made  us  all  very  sulky  and  discontented  in  the  first 
place,  and  our  anxiety  to  get  out  of  school  was  so  great,  that 
the  lessons  were  not  very  perfect  in  the  second.  The  ferule 
and  rod  were  called  out  and  liberally  administered  ;  but  what 
was  our  horror  and  dismay  when  Mr.  O'Gallagher,  about  an 
hour  before  dinner,  announced  to  us  that  all  the  squibs  and 
crackers,  with  which  our  pockets  were  crammed,  were  to  be 
given  up  immediately ;  and  that  as  we  had  not  said  our 
lessons  well,  there  would  be  no  half-holiday.  The  whole 
school  were  in  mute  despair. 

One  by  one  were  the  boys  summoned  up  to  the  throne  of 
Mr.  O'Gallagher,  and  their  pockets  searched  by  Phil  Mooney, 
who  emptied  them  of  their  pyrotechnical  contents,  all  of 
which  were  deposited  on  the  dai's  of  Mr.  O'Gallagher's 
throne,  which,  I  have  before  observed,  was  composed  of*  two 
empty  claret  cases  turned  upside  down,  surmounted  by 
another,  on  which  Mr.  O'Gallagher  sat,  all  three  covered 
with  old  green  baize. 

By  the  time  that  the  whole  school  had  been  rifled,  the 
heap  of  fireworks  was  very  considerable,  and  Mr.  O'Gallagher, 
to  prevent  any  of  them  being  recovered  by  the  boys,  lifted 
up  the  claret  case  on  which  he  sat,  and  which  was  on  the  top 
of  the  other  two,  and  desired  Phil  Mooney  to  put  them  all 
underneath  it.  This  was  done ;  Mr.  O'Gallagher  resumed 
his  seat,  and  the  lessons  continued  till  the  dinner  hour 
arrived,  but,  alas !  not  the  half-holiday  or  the  fireworks. 

The  boys  went  out ;  some  mournful,  some  angry,  some 
sulky,  some  frightened  ;  a  few,  a  very  few,  declaiming  against 
such  injustice. 

I  was  in  a  rage ;  my  blood  boiled.  At  last  my  invention 
came  to  my  aid,  and  without  considering  the  consequences,  I 
determined  how  to  act. 

As  it  was  an  hour  and  a  half  before  school  would  com- 
mence, I  hastened  home,  and,  having  spent  all  my  money, 
begged  Aunt  Milly  to  give  me  some  ;  she  gave  me  a  shilling, 
and  with  that  I  bought  as  much  gunpowder  as  I  could  pro- 
cure, more  than  a  quarter  of  a  pound. 

36 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

I  then  returned  to  the  school,  looked  into  the  schoolroom, 
and  found  it  empty ;  I  quickly  raised  up  the  claret  case, 
under  which  the  fireworks  had  been  placed,  put  the  powder 
under  it,  leaving  only  sufficient  for  a  very  small  train,  which 
would  not  be  perceived  in  the  green  baize  covering ;  having 
so  done,  I  left  the  schoolroom  immediately,  and  rejoined 
my  companions.  I  had  a  piece  of  touchwood,  as  all  the  bovs 
had,  to  let  off  their  fireworks  with,  and  this  I  lighted  and 
left  in  a  corner  until  the  bell  should  summon  us  into  school. 

Oh !  how  my  heart  beat  when  I  heard  the  sound,  so  full 
was  I  of  anxiety  lest  my  project  should  fail. 

Once  more  we  were  all  assembled.  Mr.  O'Gallagher 
surveying,  with  the  smile  of  a  demon,  the  unhappy  and 
disappointed  faces  of  the  boys,  was  again  perched  upon  his 
throne,  the  rod  on  one  side,  the  ferule  on  the  other,  and  the 
ruler,  that  dreaded  truncheon  of  command,  clenched  in  his 
broad  fist. 

I  had  the  touchwood  lighted  and  concealed  in  my  hand ; 
gradually  I  moved  downwards,  until  at  last,  unperceived  by 
Mr.  O'Gallagher,  I  was  behind  him,  and  close  to  my  train 
of  gunpowder.  I  gave  one  look  to  ascertain  if  he  had 
observed  me ;  his  eye  was  roving  over  the  school  for  some 
delinquent  to  throw  his  ruler  at.  Fearful  that  he  might  turn 
round  to  me,  I  no  longer  hesitated,  and  the  touchwood  Avas 
applied  to  the  train. 

Ignorant  as  I  was  of  the  force  of  gunpowder,  it  was  with 
astonishment,  mingled  with  horror,  that  I  beheld,  in  a 
second,  the  claret  case  rise  up  as  if  it  had  wings,  and  Mr. 
O'Gallagher  thrown  up  to  the  ceiling  enveloped  in  a  cloud 
of  smoke,  the  crackers  and  squibs  fizzing  and  banging,  while 
the  boys  in  the  school  uttered  a  yell  of  consternation  and 
fear  as  they  rushed  back  from  the  explosion,  and  afterwards, 
tumbling  over  one  another,  made  their  escape  from  the 
schoolroom. 

The  windows  had  all  been  blown  out  with  a  terrible  crash, 
and  the  whole  schoolroom  was  now  covered  by  the  smoke. 
There  I  stood  in  silent  dismay  at  the  mischief  which  I  had 
done.  The  squibs  and  crackers  had  not,  however,  all  finished 
popping,  before  I  heard  the  howling  of  Mr.  O'Gallagher, 
who  had  fallen  down  upon  the  centre  schoolroom  table. 

I  was  still  in  the  schoolroom  half-suffocated,  yet  not  moving 

37 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

away  from  where  I  stood,  when  the  neighbours,  who  had  been 
alarmed  by  the  explosion  and  the  cries  of  the  boys,  rushed  in, 
and  perceiving  only  me  and  Mr.  O'Gallagher,  who  still  howled, 
they  caught  hold  of  us  both,  and  bore  us  out  in  their  arms. 
It  was  high  time,  for  the  schoolroom  was  now  on  fire,  and  in 
a  few  minutes  more  the  flames  burst  out  of  the  windows, 
while  volumes  of  smoke  forced  through  the  door  and  soon 
afterwards  the  roof. 

The  engines  were  sent  for,  but  before  they  could  arrive,  or 
water  be  procured,  the  whole  tenement  was  so  enveloped  in 
flames  that  it  could  not  be  saved.  In  an  hour,  the  locale  of 
our  misery  was  reduced  to  ashes.  They  had  put  me  on  my 
legs  as  soon  as  we  got  clear  of  the  schoolroom,  to  ascertain 
whether  I  was  hurt,  and  finding  that  I  was  not,  they 
left  me. 

I  never  shall  forget  what  my  sensations  were,  when  I 
beheld  the  flames  and  volumes  of  smoke  bursting  out ;  the 
hurry  and  bustle  and  confusion  outside,  the  working  of  the 
engines  ;  the  troops  marched  up  from  the  barracks,  the  crowd 
of  people  assembled,  and  the  ceaseless  mingling  of  tongues 
from  every  quarter;  and  all  this  is  my  doing,  thought  I — 
mine — all  mine. 

I  felt  delighted  that  I  had  no  partner  or  confederate  ;  I 
could,  at  all  events,  keep  my  own  secret.  I  did,  however, 
feel  some  anxiety  as  to  Mr.  O'Gallagher,  for,  much  as  I  de- 
tested him,  I  certainly  had  no  intention  to  kill  him ;  so  after 
a  time,  I  made  inquiries,  and  found  that  he  was  alive,  and 
in  no  danger,  although  very  much  bruised  and  somewhat 
burnt. 

No  one  could  explain  how  the  catastrophe  occurred,  further 
than  that  Mr.  O'Gallagher  had  collected  all  the  squibs  and 
crackers  from  the  boys,  and  that  they  had  exploded  somehow 
or  another ;  most  people  said  that  it  served  him  right.  My 
grandmother  shook  her  head  and  said,  "  Yes,  yes,  gunpowder 
will  go  off,  but " — and  she  looked  at  me — "  it  requires  a 
match  to  be  put  to  it."  I  looked  up  very  innocently,  but 
made  no  reply. 

Mr.  O'Gallagher's  favourite  expression,  to  wit,  "  that  it  would 
end  in  a  blow-up,"  proved,  as  far  as  his  school  was  concerned, 
literally  true.  He  had  not  the  means  of  procuring  another 
suitable  tenement  in  Chatham,  and  as  soon  as  he  had  re- 

33 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

covered  from  the  injuries  he  had  received,  he  quitted  the 
town. 

It  was  not  until  he  had  left,  that  I  ventured  to  make  known 
to  Captain  Bridgeman,  and  my  aunt  Milly,  the  trifling  share  I 
had  in  the  transaction ;  and  they,  perceiving  the  prudence  of 
keeping  my  secret,  desired  me  on  no  account  to  let  it  be 
known  to  any  one  else. 


CHAPTER  IX 

-A.S  soon  as  it  was  ascertained  that  Mr.  O'Gallagher  was  gone, 
my  grandmother  insisted  upon  my  being  sent  to  another 
school,  and  on  this  occasion  my  mother  made  the  inquiries 
herself,  and  I  was  despatched  to  one  much  nearer  home ; 
and  being  treated  well,  not  only  played  fewer  tricks,  but 
advanced  rapidly  in  my  education ;  so  rapidly,  indeed,  that 
my  grandmother  began  to  think  that  I  was  not  so  bad  a 
boy  as  I  used  to  be. 

As  she  treated  me  more  kindly,  I  felt  less  inclined  to  tease 
her,  although  the  spirit  of  mischief  was  as  undiminished  as 
ever,  and  was  shown  in  various  ways. 

1  may  as  well  here  observe,  that  out  of  the  many  admirers 
of  my  aunt  Milly,  there  were  only  two  who  appeared  to  be  at 
all  constant  in  their  attentions.  One  was  Lieutenant  Flat, 
who  was  positively  smitten,  and  would  have  laid  his  pay  and 
person  at  her  feet,  had  he  received  anything  like  encourage- 
ment ;  but  my  aunt  disliked  him  in  the  first  place,  and,  more-: 
over,  had  a  very  strong  feeling  towards  Captain  Bi'idgeman. 

Mr.  Flat  was  certainly  a  very  fine-looking  soldier,  being 
tall,  erect,  and  well-made,  but  he  was  at  the  same  time  not 
over  brilliant ;  he  was,  as  an  officer,  the  very  sort  of  person 
my  father  Ben  was  as  a  private. 

But  the  other  party,  Captain  Bridgeman,  did  not  come 
forward ;  he  appeared  to  be  in  doubt,  and  not  at  all  able 
to  make  up  his  mind. 

The  fact  was,  that  my  mother  being  married  to  a  private, 
made  any  match  with  the  sister  objectionable  to  the  whole 
corps,  as  it  would  be  derogatory  that  one  sister  should  be 
the  wife  of  a  private,  and  the  other  of  an  officer.  Ben  would 

39 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

have  been  able  to  say,  "  My  brother-in-law,  the  captain  of  my 
division,"  which  would  never  have  done ;  and  this  Captain 
Bridgeman  felt,  and  therefore  resisted,  as  well  as  he  could, 
the  inroads  which  my  aunt's  beauty  and  mirth  had  made 
into  his  heart.  My  aunt  was  exactly  a  person  to  suit  Captain 
Bridgeman  as  a  helpmate,  had  it  not  been  for  this  unfortunate 
alliance  of  my  mother's. 

Lieutenant  Flat  was  too  stupid  and  indifferent  to  the 
opinion  of  the  other  officers,  to  care  anything  about  what 
they  thought ;  he  would  have  married  Milly  long  before,  but 
my  aunt,  who  had  made  up  her  mind  to  marry  an  officer, 
did  not  yet  despair  of  obtaining  the  captain  ;  and  although 
she  would  not  positively  dismiss  Lieutenant  Flat,  she  merely 
kept  him  as  a  sort  of  reserve,  to  fall  back  upon  when  every 
other  chance  was  gone. 

I  should  like,  if  I  possibly  could,  to  give  the  reader  some 
idea  of  my  mother's  circulating-library  and  sort  of  universal 
commodity  shop  ;  it  was  a  low-windowed  building,  one  storey 
high,  but  running  a  long  way  back,  where  it  was  joined  to  a 
small  parlour,  in  which  we  generally  sat  during  the  day,  as  it 
was  convenient  in  case  of  company  or  customers,  the  little 
pai-lour  having  a  glass  door,  which  permitted  us  to  look  into 
the  shop. 

In  the  front  windows,  on  one  side,  were  all  the  varieties  of 
papers,  sealing-wax,  inkstands,  and  every  kind  of  stationery, 
backed  by  children's  books,  leather  writing-cases,  prints,  cari- 
catures, and  Tonbridge  ware.  In  the  other  windows  were 
ribbons,  caps,  gloves,  scarfs,  needles,  and  other  little  articles 
in  demand  by  ladies,  and  which  they  required  independent 
of  their  milliners. 

At  the  entrance  were  sticks  and  canes  ;  on  the  counter  a 
case  of  gold  and  more  moderate-priced  trinkets.  On  the 
shelves  of  the  millinery  side  were  boxes  of  gloves,  ribbons, 
buttons,  &c.  On  the  opposite  side,  perfumes,  cigars,  tooth- 
brushes, combs,  scented  soaps,  and  other  requisites  for  the 
toilet. 

About  ten  feet  on  each  side  of  the  shop  was  occupied  with 
the  above  articles  ;  the  remainder  of  the  shelves  were  reserved 
for  the  circulating-library. 

At  the  back  of  the  shop  were  some  seats  round  a  small 
table,  on  which  was  laid  the  newspaper  of  the  day ;  and  on 

40 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

each  side  of  the  parlour-door  were  hoops,  bats,  balls,  traps, 
skittles,  and  a  variety  of  toys  for  children. 

My  mother  usually  attended  to  the  millinery,  and  my  aunt 
Milly  to  what  might  be  termed  the  gentlemen's  side  of  the 
shop  ;  the  remainder  of  the  goods  and  circulating-library  were 
in  the  hands  of  both. 

There  were  few  hours  of  the  day  in  which  the  chairs  at 
the  counter  and  round  the  table  were  not  taken  possession  of 
by  some  one  or  another,  either  reading  the  paper  or  a  book, 
or  talking,  to  pass  away  the  time.  In  fact,  it  was  a  sort  of 
rendezvous,  where  all  who  met  knew  each  other,  and  where 
the  idle  of  our  own  sex  used  to  repair  to  get  rid  of  their  time. 
Captain  Bridgeman  and  Mr.  Flat  were  certainly  the  two  most 
constantly  to  be  found  there,  although  few  of  the  marine 
officers  were  a  day  without  paying  us  a  visit. 

Such  was  the  locale;  to  describe  the  company  will  be 
more  difficult,  but  I  will  attempt  it. 

My  mother,  remarkably  nicely  dressed,  is  busy  opening  a 
parcel  of  new  books  just  arrived  ;  my  aunt  Milly  behind  the 
counter,  on  the  gentlemen's  side,  pretending  to  be  working 
upon  a  piece  of  muslin  about  five  inches  square.  Mr.  Flat 
sitting  near  the  table,  fallen  back  in  his  chair,  apparently 
watching  the  flies  on  the  ceiling.  Captain  Bridgeman,  a 
very  good-looking  man,  very  slight,  but  extremely  active, 
is  sitting  at  the  counter  opposite  to  where  my  aunt  is  stand- 
ing ;  a  small  black  cane,  with  a  silver  head  to  it,  in  his  hand, 
and  his  gloves  peculiarly  clean  and  well-fitting.  He  has  an 
eye  as  sharp  as  an  eagle's,  a  slight  hook  to  his  nose,  thin 
lips,  and  very  white  teeth ;  his  countenance  as  full  of  energy 
and  fire  as  that  of  Lieutenant  Flat  is  heavy  and  unmeaning. 

"Miss  Amelia,  if  I  may  take  the  liberty,"  said  Captain 
Bridgeman,  pointing  with  his  cane  to  the  bit  of  muslin  she 
is  employed  upon;  "what  are  you  making?  it's  too  small 
for  any  part  of  a  lady's  dress." 

"  It  is  quite  large  enough  for  a  cuff,  Captain  Bridgeman." 

"A  cuff;  then  you  are  making  a  cuff,  I  presume?" 

(t  Indeed  she  is  not,  Captain  Bridgeman,"  replies  my 
mother,  "it  is  only  to  keep  herself  out  of  mischief.  She 
spoils  a  bit  like  that  every  week.  And  that's  why  it  is  so 
small,  Captain  Bridgeman ;  it  would  be  a  pity  to  spoil  a 
larger  piece." 

41 


PERCIVAL-  KEENE 

"  I  really  was  not  aware  that  such  a  mere  trifle  would  keep 
you  out  of  mischief,"  said  the  captain. 

"You  know,"  replied  Aunt  Milly,  "that  idleness  is  the 
root  of  all  evil,  Captain  Bridgeman." 

"Flat,  do  you  hear  that?"  says  Captain  Bridgeman. 

"  What  ?  "  replies  Flat. 

"  That  idleness  is  the  root  of  all  evil ;  what  an  evil-dis- 
posed person  you  must  be  !  " 

"  I  was  thinking,"  replied  Flat. 

"  I  suspect  it's  only  lately  you've  taken  to  that.  Who  or 
what  were  you  thinking  about  ?  " 

"Well,  I  believe  I  was  thinking  how  long  it  would  be 
before  dinner  was  ready." 

"  That's  very  rude,  Mr.  Flat ;  you  might  have  said  that 
you  were  thinking  about  me,"  replied  my  aunt. 

"Well,  so  I  was  at  first,  and  then  I  began  to  think  of 
dinner-time." 

"  Don't  be  offended,  Miss  Amelia ;  Flat  pays  you  a  great 
compliment  in  dividing  his  attentions ;  but  I  really  wish  to 
know  why  ladies  will  spoil  muslin  in  such  a  predetermined 
manner.  Will  you  explain  that,  Mrs.  Keene  ?  " 

"  Yes,  Captain  Bridgeman :  a  piece  of  work  is  very  valu- 
able to  a  woman,  especially  when  she  finds  herself  in  com- 
pany with  gentlemen  like  you.  It  saves  her  from  looking 
down,  or  looking  at  you,  when  you  are  talking  nonsense ;  it 
prevents  your  reading  in  her  eyes  what  is  passing  in  her 
mind,  or  discovering  what  effect  your  words  may  have  upon 
her ;  it  saves  much  awkwardness,  and  very  often  a  blush ; 
sometimes  a  woman  hardly  knows  which  way  to  look ;  some- 
times she  may  look  any  way  but  the  right.  Now  a  bit  of 
muslin  with  a  needle  is  a  remedy  for  all  that ;  for  she  can 
look  down  at  her  work,  and  not  look  up  till  she  thinks  it 
advisable." 

"  I  thank  you  for  your  explanation,  madam  ;  I  shall  always 
take  it  as  a  great  compliment  if  I  see  a  lady  very  busy  at 
work  when  I'm  conversing  with  her." 

"  But  you  may  flatter  yourself,  Captain  Bridgeman,"  replied 
my  mother ;  "  the  attention  to  her  work  may  arise  from 
perfect  indifference,  or  from  positive  annoyance.  It  saves 
the  trouble  of  making  an  effort  to  be  polite." 

"  And  pray,  may  I  inquire,  Miss  Amelia,  what  feeling  may 

42 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

cause  your  particular  attention  to  your  work  at  this  present 
moment  ?  " 

"Perhaps  in  either  case  to  preserve  my  self-possession/' 
replied  Amelia;  "or  perhaps,  Captain  Bridgeman,  I  may 
prefer  looking  at  a  piece  of  muslin  to  looking  at  a  marine 
officer." 

"  That's  not  very  flattering/'  replied  the  captain  ;  "  if  you 
spoil  the  muslin,  you're  determined  not  to  spoil  me." 

"  The  muslin  is  of  little  value,"  said  Amelia  softly,  walking 
to  the  other  side  of  the  shop,  and  turning  over  the  books. 

"  Mr.  Flat/'  said  my  mother,  "  your  subscription  to  the 
library  is  out  last  month ;  I  presume  I  can  put  your  name 
down  again  ?  " 

"  Well,  I  don't  know ;  I  never  read  a  book/'  replied  Mr. 
Flat,  yawning. 

"  That's  not  at  all  necessary,  Mr.  Flat,"  said  my  mother ; 
"  in  most  businesses  there  are  sleeping  partners ;  besides,  if 
you  don't  read,  you  come  here  to  talk,  which  is  a  greater 
enjoyment  still,  and  luxuries  must  be  paid  for." 

"Well,  I'll  try  another  quarter,"  replied  Mr.  Flat,  "and 
then " 

"  And  then  what  ?  "  said  my  aunt  Milly,  smiling. 

"  Well,  I  don't  know/'  says  Flat.  "  Is  that  clock  of  yours 
right,  Mrs.  Keene  ?  " 

"  It  is ;  but  I  am  fearful  that  your  thoughts  run  faster 
than  the  clock,  Mr.  Flat ;  you  are  thinking  of  the  dress- 
bugle  for  dinner." 

"  No,  I  was  not/' 

"Then  you  were  thinking  of  yourself." 

"  No,  I  wasn't,  Mrs.  Keene/'  said  Flat,  rising,  and  walking 
out  of  the  shop. 

"  I'll  tell  you/'  said  he,  turning  round  as  he  went  out, 
"  what  I  was  thinking  of,  Mrs.  Keene  ;  not  of  myself, — I  was 
thinking  of  my  bull  pup." 

My  mother  burst  out  a-laughing  as  the  lieutenant  disap- 
peared. "  I  was  not  far  wrong  when  I  said  he  was  thinking 
of  himself,"  said  she  ;  "for  a  calf  is  a  sort  of  bull  pup." 

At  this  sally  Captain  Bridgeman  laughed,  and  danced 
about  the  shop  ;  at  last  he  said,  "  Poor  Flat !  Miss  Amelia, 
he's  desperately  in  love  with  you." 

"  That's  more  than  I  am  with  him/'  said  Amelia  calmly. 

43 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

Here  two  ladies  came  in. 

Captain  Bridgeman  made  a  most  polite  bow.  "  I  trust 
Mrs.  Handbell  is  quite  well,  and  Miss  Handbell, — I  hardly 
need  ask  the  question  with  the  charming  colour  you  have  ?  " 

"  Captain  Bridgeman,  you  appear  to  live  in  this  library  ;  I 
wonder  Mrs.  Keene  don't  take  you  into  partnership." 

"  If  I  were  not  honoured  with  the  custom  of  Mrs.  Handbell 
and  other  ladies,  I  fear  that  my  shop  would  have  little  attrac- 
tion for  gentlemen,"  replied  my  mother,  with  a  courtesy. 

"  Mrs.  Keene  is  quite  correct  in  her  surmise,  Miss  Hand- 
bell," said  Captain  Bridgeman ;  "  now  that  I  have  seen  you, 
I  shall  not  think  my  morning  thrown  away." 

"  If  report  says  true,  Captain  Bridgeman,"  replied  Mrs. 
Handbell,  "you  would  be  quite  as  often  here,  even  if  no 
ladies  were  to  be  customers  of  Mrs.  Keene.  Mrs.  Keene, 
have  you  any  of  that  narrow  French  ribbon  left  ?  " 

"  I  think  I  have,  madam  ;  it  was  off  this  piece,  was  it  not  ?  " 

"  Yes ;  but  I  really  don't  know  exactly  how  much  I  re- 
quire ;  perhaps  you  will  measure  it,  and  allow  me  to  return 
what  is  left  ?  " 

"  Certainly,  madam ;  will  you  take  it  with  you,  or  shall  I 
send  it  ?  " 

"  I  wish  for  it  directly  ;  will  you  be  very  long  in  measuring 
it,  for  I  ought  to  be  home  now." 

"  Perhaps  you'll  have  the  kindness  to  measure  what  you 
take  off  yourself,  madam,"  replied  my  mother,  "and  then 
you  need  not  wait." 

"You  put  confidence  in  me,  I  observe,  Mrs.  Keene,"  re- 
plied Mrs.  Handbell;  "well,  I  will  do  you  justice." 

My  mother  smiled  most  graciously,  put  the  piece  of  ribbon 
in  paper,  and  handed  it  to  Mrs.  Handbell,  who,  bowing  to 
Captain  Bridgeman,  quitted  the  shop. 

"  I  wonder  whether  you  would  trust  me  in  that  way  ? " 
said  Captain  Bridgeman  to  my  mother. 

"I  don't  think  I  should;  Amelia  says  you  will  help  yourself 
to  cigars,  and  that  she  is  sure  you  cheat  when  you  count  them." 

"  Does  she  really  say  that  ?  Well,  I  did  think  that  if 
there  was  any  one  who  would  have  upheld  my  character,  it 
would  have  been  Miss  Amelia." 

"Perhaps,  Captain  Bridgeman,  she  is  getting  tired  of  so 
doing." 

44 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

"  Or  tired  of  me,  Mrs.  Keene,  which  would  be  worse  still. 
Here  comes  a  fair  young  lady — Miss  Evans,  if  I  mistake  not ; 
I  believe  she  is  a  good  customer  to  your  library." 

"  She  reads  a  great  deal,  arid  is  therefore  only  a  customer 
to  the  library." 

"Ladies  who  are  fond  of  reading  are  seldom  fond  of 
working." 

"  Good  morning,  Miss  Evans,"  said  Captain  Bridgeman  ; 
"you  come  for  more  food  for  the  mind,  I  presume  ?"  (Miss 
Evans  gave  a  bob  and  turned  to  my  mother.) 

"  Have  you  anything  new,  Mrs.  Keene  ?  I  have  brought 
back  the  three  volumes  of  Godolphin." 

"  Yes,  miss,  I  have  some  books  down  to-day." 

While  Miss  Evans  was  selecting  from  the  new  books,  enter 
Mr.  Jones,  Mr.  Smith,  and  Mr.  Claville,  of  the  marine  corps, 
for  cigars.  Amelia  comes  out  to  attend  them — they  purchase 
a  few  articles,  and  are  talking  very  loud,  when  three  more 
ladies  enter  the  shop,  all  for  books. 

It  being  now  about  three  o'clock,  the  customers  and 
loungers  come  in  fast.  Captain  Bridgeman  saunters  away 
in  company  with  his  brother  officers ;  other  parties  enter, 
who  are  succeeded  by  fresh  claimants  for  books  or  the  other 
articles  to  be  procured  in  the  repository. 

This  demand  continues  till  about  five  o'clock,  when  the 
library  becomes  empty  ;  I  come  home  from  school,  my  father 
slinks  in  from  barracks,  and  my  mother  and  sister  return  to 
the  back  parlour,  where  they  find  my  grandmother,  as  usual, 
very  busy  with  her  knitting. 

Such  is  a  fair  sample  of  what  took  place  at  our  shop  every 
succeeding  day.  My  mother  made  few  bad  debts,  and 
rapidly  added  to  her  savings.  My  aunt  Milly  still  balancing 
between  the  certainty  of  Lieutenant  Flat  and  the  chance  of 
Captain  Bridgeman,  and  I  dividing  my  time  and  talents 
between  learning  and  contriving  mischief. 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 


CHAPTER  X 

_A_BOUT  six  months  after  I  had  blown  up  the  school  of  Mr. 
O'Gallagher,  the  company  to  which  my  father  Ben  belonged 
was  ordered  afloat  again,  and  shortly  afterwards  sailed  for  the 
East  Indies,  in  the  Redoubtable,  74.  That  my  mother  was  very 
much  pleased  at  his  departure,  I  do  not  scruple  to  assert ;  but 
whether  she  ever  analysed  her  feelings,  I  cannot  pretend  to 
say.  I  rather  think  that  all  she  wished  was,  that  the  chapter 
of  accidents  would  prevent  Ben's  reappearance,  as  she  was 
ashamed  of  him  as  a  husband,  and  felt  that  he  was  an  obstacle 
to  her  sister's  advancement. 

So  one  fine  day,  Ben  wished  us  all  good-bye ;  my  mother 
was  very  generous  to  him,  as  she  could  well  afford  to  be.  I 
rather  think  that  Ben  himself  was  not  sorry  to  go,  for,  stupid 
as  he  was,  he  must  have  felt  what  a  cipher  he  had  become, 
being  treated,  not  only  by  my  mother,  but  by  everybody  else, 
even  by  me,  as  a  sort  of  upper  servant. 

It  so  happened,  that  about  a  month  after  Ben's  departure, 
Captain  Delmar  had,  through  the  interest  of  his  uncle,  Lord 
de  Versely,  been  appointed  to  a  ship  which  was  lying  in  the 
Medway,  and  he  came  down  to  Chatham  to  join  her.  He  had 
no  idea  that  my  mother  was  there,  for  he  had  lost  sight  of  her 
altogether,  and  had  it  not  been  for  me,  might  very  probably 
have  left  the  town  without  having  made  the  discovery. 

Among  other  amusements,  I  had  a  great  partiality  for  a 
certain  bull  pup,  mentioned  by  Lieutenant  Flat  in  the  former 
chapter,  and  which  he  had  made  me  a  present  of;  the  pup 
was  now  grown  up,  and  I  had  taught  it  many  tricks,  but  the 
one  which  afforded  me  most  amusement  (of  course,  at  other 
people's  expense)  was,  that  I  had  made  out  of  oakum  a  sham 
pigtail,  about  a  foot  and  a  half  long,  very  strong  and  thick, 
with  an  iron  hook  at  the  upper  end  of  it. 

The  sham  tail  I  could  easily  hook  on  to  the  collar  of  any 
one's  coat  from  behind,  without  their  perceiving  it ;  and  Bob 
had  been  instructed  by  me,  whenever  I  told  him  to  fetch  it 
(and  not  before),  to  jump  up  at  the  tail  wherever  it  might  be, 
and  hang  on  to  it  with  all  the  tenacity  of  the  race. 

46 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

As  it  may  be  supposed,  this  was  a  great  source  of  mirth  in 
the  barracks ;  it  was  considered  a  good  joke,  and  was  much 
applauded  by  Captain  Bridgeman.  But  }t  was  not  considered 
a  good  joke  out  of  the  barracks ;  and  many  an  old  woman 
had  I  already  frightened  almost  out  of  her  senses,  by  affixing 
the  tail  to  any  portion  of  the  back  part  of  her  dress. 

It  so  happened,  that  one  afternoon,  as  I  was  cruising  about 
with  Bob  at  my  heels,  I  perceived  the  newly-arrived  Captain 
Delmar,  in  all  the  pomp  of  pride  of  full  uniform,  parading 
down  the  street  with  a  little  middy  at  his  heels;  and  I 
thought  to  myself,  "  Law  !  how  I  should  like  to  hang  my  tail 
to  his  fine  coat,  if  I  only  dared : "  the  impulse  had  become  so 
strong,  that  I  actually  had  pulled  up  my  pinafore  and  dis- 
engaged the  tail  ready  for  any  opportunity,  but  I  was  afraid 
that  the  middy  would  see  me. 

Captain  Delmar  had  passed  close  to  me,  the  middy  at  his 
heels  was  passing,  and  I  thought  all  chance  was  gone,  when, 
suddenly,  Captain  Delmar  turned  short  round  and  addressed 
the  little  officer,  asking  him  whether  he  had  brought  the 
order-book  with  him  ?  The  middy  touched  his  hat,  and 
said,  "  No  ; "  upon  which  Captain  Delmar  began  to  inflict 
a  most  serious  lecture  upon  the  lad  for  forgetting  what  he 
had  forgotten  himself,  and  I  again  passed  by. 

This  was  an  opportunity  I  could  not  resist;  while  the 
captain  and  middy  were  so  well  employed  giving  and  re- 
ceiving, I  fixed  my  oakum  tail  to  the  collar  of  the  captain's 
gold-laced  coat,  and  then  walked  over  to  the  other  side  of 
the  street  with  Bob  at  my  heels. 

The  middy  being  duly  admonished,  Captain  Delmar  turned 
round  again  and  resumed  his  way  ;  upon  which  I  called  Bob, 
who  was  quite  as  ready  for  the  fun  as  I  was,  and  pointing  to 
the  captain,  said,  "Fetch  it,  Bob."  My  companion  cleared 
the  street  in  three  or  four  bounds,  and  in  a  few  seconds 
afterwards  made  a  spring  up  the  back  of  Captain  Delmar, 
and  seizing  the  tail,  hung  by  it  with  his  teeth,  shaking  it 
with  all  his  might  as  he  hung  in  the  air. 

Captain  Delmar  was,  to  use  a  sailor's  term,  completely  taken 
aback ;  indeed  he  was  nearly  capsized  by  the  unexpected 
assault.  For  a  short  time  he  could  not  discover  what  it  was ; 
at  last,  by  turning  his  head  over  his  shoulder  and  putting 
his  hand  behind  him,  he  discovered  who  his  assailant  was. 

47 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

Just  at  that  time,  I  called  out  "  Mad  dog  !  mad  dog ! " 
and  Captain  Delmar  hearing  those  alarming  words,  became 
dreadfully  frightened ;  his  cocked  hat  dropped  from  his 
head,  and  he  took  to  his  heels  as  fast  as  he  could,  running 
down  the  street,  with  Bob  clinging  behind  him. 

The  first  open  door  he  perceived  was  that  of  my  mother's 
library ;  he  burst  in,  nearly  upsetting  Captain  Bridgeman, 
who  was  seated  at  the  counter,  talking  to  Aunt  Milly,  crying 
out  "Help  !  help  !"  As  he  turned  round,  his  sword  became 
entangled  between  his  legs,  tripped  him  up,  and  he  fell  on 
the  floor.  This  unhooked  the  tail,  and  Bob  galloped  out  of 
the  shop,  bearing  his  prize  to  me,  who,  with  the  little  middy, 
remained  in  the  street  convulsed  with  laughter.  Bob  de- 
livered up  the  tail,  which  I  again  concealed  under  my 
pinafore,  and  then,  with  a  demure  face,  ventured  to  walk 
towards  my  mother's  house,  and,  going  in  at  the  back  door, 
put  Master  Bob  in  the  wash-house  out  of  the  way ;  the  little 
middy,  who  had  picked  up  the  captain's  hat,  giving  me  a 
wink  as  I  passed  him,  as  much  as  to  say,  I  won't  inform 
against  you. 

In  the  meantime  Captain  Delmar  had  been  assisted  to  his 
legs  by  Captain  Bridgeman,  who  well  knew  who  had  played 
the  trick,  and  who,  as  well  as  Aunt  Milly,  had  great  diffi- 
culty in  controlling  his  mirth. 

"  Merciful  heaven  !  what  was  it  ?  Was  the  animal  mad  ? 
Has  it  bitten  me  ?"  exclaimed  Captain  Delmar,  falling  back 
in  his  chair,  in  which  he  had  been  seated  by  Captain 
Bridgeman. 

"  I  really  do  not  know,"  replied  Captain  Bridgeman  ;  "  but 
you  are  not  hurt,  sir,  apparently,  nor  indeed  is  your  coat 
torn." 

"  What  dog — whose  dog  can  it  be  ? — it  must  be  shot 
immediately — I  shall  give  orders — I  shall  report  the  case 
to  the  admiral.  May  I  ask  for  a  glass  of  water  ?  Oh,  Mr. 
Dott,  you're  there,  sir ;  how  came  you  to  allow  that  dog  to 
fasten  himself  on  my  back  in  that  way  ?  " 

"  If  you  please,"  said  the  middy,  presenting  his  cocked 
hat  to  the  captain,  "  I  did  draw  my  dirk  to  kill  him,  but  you 
ran  away  so  fast  that  I  couldn't  catch  you." 

"Very  well,  sir,  you  may  go  down  to  the  boat  and  wait 
for  orders,"  replied  the  captain. 

48 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

At  this  moment  my  mother,  who  had  been  dressing  her- 
self, made  her  first  appearance,  coming  out  of  the  back 
parlour  with  a  glass  of  water,  which  Aunt  Milly  had  gone 
in  for.  Perceiving  a  gold-laced  captain,  she  advanced  all 
smiles  and  courtesies,  until  she  looked  in  his  face,  and  then 
she  gave  a  scream,  and  dropped  the  tumbler  on  the  floor, 
much  to  the  surprise  of  Captain  Bridgeman,  and  also  of  Aunt 
Milly,  who,  not  having  been  at  the  Hall,  was  not  acquainted 
with  the  person  of  Captain  Delmar. 

Just  at  this  moment  in  came  I,  looking  as  demure  as  if,  as 
the  saying  is,  "butter  would  not  melt  in  my  mouth,"  and 
certainly  as  much  astonished  as  the  rest  at  my  mother's 
embarrassment ;  but  she  soon  recovered  herself,  and  asked 
Captain  Delmar  if  he  would  condescend  to  repose  himself  a 
little  in  the  back  parlour.  When  my  mother  let  the  tumbler 
fall,  the  captain  had  looked  her  full  in  the  face  and  recog- 
nised her,  and  in  a  low  voice  said,  "Excessively  strange — 
so  very  unexpected  ! "  He  then  rose  up  from  the  chair  and 
followed  my  mother  into  the  back  room. 

"Who  can  it  be  ?"  said  Aunt  Milly  to  Captain  Bridgeman, 
in  a  low  tone. 

"  I  suppose  it  must  be  the  new  captain  appointed  to  the 
Calliope.  I  read  his  name  in  the  papers, — the  Honourable 
Captain  Delmar." 

"  It  must  be  him,"  replied  Milly ;  "  for  my  sister  was 
brought  up  by  his  aunt,  Mrs.  Delmar ;  no  wonder  she  was 
surprised  at  meeting  him  so  suddenly.  Percival,  you  naughty 
boy,"  continued  Milly,  shaking  her  finger  at  me,  "it  was  all 
your  doing." 

"  Oh,  Aunt  Milly !  you  should  have  seen  him  run,"  replied 
I,  laughing  at  the  thought. 

"  I'd  recommend  you  not  to  play  with  post-captains," 
said  Captain  Bridgeman,  "or  you  may  get  worse  than  you 
give.  Mercy  on  us ! "  exclaimed  he,  looking  at  me  full  in 
the  face. 

"  What's  the  matter  ?  "  said  Aunt  Milly. 

Captain  Bridgeman  leant  over  the  counter,  and  I  heard 
him  whisper,  "  Did  you  ever  see  such  a  likeness  as  between 
the  lad  and  Captain  Delmar  t" 

Milly  blushed  a  little,  nodded  her  head,  and  smiled,  as  she 
turned  away.  Captain  Bridgeman  appeared  to  be  afterwards 

49  D 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

in  a  brown  study ;  he  tapped  his  boot  with  his  cane,  and  did 
not  speak. 

About  a  quarter  of  an  hour  passed,  during  which  Captain 
Delmar  remained  with  my  mother  in  the  parlour,  when  she 
opened  the  door,  and  beckoned  me  to  come  in.  I  did  so  not 
without  some  degree  of  anxiety,  for  I  was  afraid  that  I  had 
been  discovered.  But  this  doubt  was  soon  removed ;  Captain 
Delmar  did  me  the  honour  to  shake  hands  with  me,  and  then 
patted  my  head,  saying,  he  hoped  I  was  a  good  boy,  which, 
being  compelled  to  be  my  own  trumpeter,  I  very  modestly 
declared  that  I  was.  My  mother,  who  was  standing  up 
behind,  lifted  up  her  eyes  at  my  barefaced  assertion.  Captain 
Delmar  then  shook  hands  with  my  mother,  intimating  his 
intention  of  paying  her  another  visit  very  soon,  and- again 
patting  me  on  the  head,  quitted  the  parlour,  and  went  away 
through  the  shop. 

As  soon  as  Captain  Delmar  was  gone,  my  mother  turned 
round,  and  said,  <e  You  naughty,  mischievous  boy,  to  play 
such  pranks.  I'll  have  that  dog  killed,  without  you  promise 
me  never  to  do  so  again." 

"  Do  what  again,  mother  ?  " 

"  None  of  your  pretended  innocence  with  me.  I've  been 
told  of  the  pigtail  that  Bob  pulls  at.  That's  all  very  well  at 
the  barracks  with  the  marines,  sir,  but  do  you  know  who  it 
is  that  you  have  been  playing  that  trick  to  ?  " 

"  No,  mother,  I  don't.     Who  is  he  ?  " 

"  Who  is  he,  you  undutiful  child  ?  why,  he's — he's  the 
Honourable  Captain  Delmar." 

"  Well,  what  of  that  ?  "  replied  I.  "  He's  a  naval  captain, 
ain't  he  ?  " 

"  Yes ;  but  he's  the  nephew  of  the  lady  who  brought  me 
up,  and  educated  me.  It  was  he  that  made  the  match 
between  me  and  your  father :  so  if  it  had  not  been  for  him, 
child,  you  never  would  have  been  born." 

"Oh !  that's  it,"  replied  I.  "Well,  mother,  if  it  had  not 
been  for  me,  he'd  never  have  come  into  the  shop,  and 
found  you." 

"  But,  my  child,  we  must  be  serious ;  you  must  be  very 
respectful  to  Captain  Delmar,  and  play  no  tricks  with 
him ;  for  you  may  see  him  very  often,  and,  perhaps,  he  will 
take  a  fancy  to  you ;  and  if  he  does,  he  may  do  you  a  great 

50 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

deal  of  good,  and  bring  you  forward  in  the  world ;  so 
promise  me." 

"Well,  mother,  I'll  promise  you  I'll  leave  him  alone  if  you 
wish  it.  Law,  mother,  you  should  have  seen  how  the  middy 
laughed  at  him ;  it  was  real  fun  to  make  a  gallant  captain 
run  in  the  way  he  did." 

"  Go  along,  you  mischievous  animal,  and  recollect  your 
promise  to  me,"  said  my  mother,  as  she  went  into  the  shop, 
where  she  found  that  Captain  Bridgeman,  to  whom  she 
intended  to  explain  how  it  was  that  she  had  dropped  the 
tumbler  of  water,  had  gone  away. 

There  was  a  great  deal  of  consultation  between  my  grand- 
mother and  my  mother  on  that  evening ;  my  aunt  and  I  were 
sent  out  to  take  a  walk,  that  we  might  not  overhear  what 
passed,  and  when  we  returned  we  found  them  still  in  close 
conversation. 


CHAPTER  XI 

JL  HE  Honourable  Captain  Delmar  was  now  a  frequent 
visitor  to  my  mother,  and  a  good  customer  to  the  library. 
He  did,  however,  generally  contrive  that  his  visit  should  be 
paid  late  in  the  afternoon,  just  after  the  marine  officers  had 
retired  to  dress  for  dinner ;  for  he  was  a  very  haughty 
personage,  and  did  not  think  it  proper  for  any  officers  of  an 
inferior  grade  to  come  "  between  the  wind  and  his  nobility." 

I  cannot  say  that  I  was  partial  to  him ;  indeed,  his 
pomposity,  as  I  considered  it,  was  to  me  a  source  of  ridicule 
and  dislike.  He  took  more  notice  of  me  than  he  did  of 
anybody  else ;  but  he  appeared  to  consider  that  his  con- 
descending patronage  was  all  that  was  necessary ;  whereas 
had  he  occasionally  given  me  a  half-crown  I  should  have 
cherished  better  feelings  towards  him.  Not  that  I  wanted 
money,  for  my  mother  supplied  me  very  liberally,  considering 
my  age  ;  but  although  you  may  coax  and  flatter  a  girl  into 
loving  you,  you  cannot  a  boy,  who  requires  more  substantial 
proofs  of  your  goodwill. 

There  were  a  great  many  remarks,  not  very  flattering  to 
my  mother,  made  behind  her  back,  as  to  her  former  intimacy 

51 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

with  Captain  Delmar ;  for,  somehow  or  another,  there  always 
is  somebody  who  knows  something,  wherever  doubts  or 
surmises  arise,  and  so  it  was  in  this  case.  But  if  people  in- 
dulged in  ill-natured  remarks  when  she  was  not  there,  they 
did  not  in  her  presence ;  on  the  contrary,  the  friendship  of 
so  great  a  man  as  the  Honourable  Captain  Delmar  appeared 
rather  to  make  my  mother  a  person  of  more  consequence. 

She  was  continually  pointing  out  to  me  the  propriety  of 
securing  the  goodwill  of  this  great  personage,  and  the  more 
she  did  so,  the  more  I  felt  inclined  to  do  the  reverse ;  indeed, 
I  should  have  broke  out  into  open  mutiny,  if  it  had  not  been 
for  Captain  Bridgeman,  who  sided  with  my  mother,  and 
when  I  went  to  him  to  propose  playing  another  trick  upon 
the  noble  captain,  not  only  refused  to  aid  me,  but  told  me, 
if  I  ever  thought  of  such  a  thing,  he  would  never  allow  me 
to  come  to  his  rooms  again. 

"  Why,  what  good  can  he  do  to  me  ?  "  inquired  I. 

"  He  may  advance  you  properly  in  life — who  knows  ? — he 
may  put  you  on  the  quarter-deck,  and  get  you  promoted  in 
the  service." 

(t  What,  make  a  middy  of  me  ?  " 

"  Yes,  and  from  a  midshipman  you  may  rise  to  be  a  post- 
captain,  or  admiral, — a  much  greater  rank  than  I  shall  ever 
obtain,"  said  Captain  Bridgeman;  "so  take  my  advice,  and 
do  as  your  mother  wishes ;  be  very  civil  and  respectful  to 
Captain  Delmar,  and  he  may  be  as  good  as  a  father  to  you." 

"That's  not  saying  much,"  replied  I,  thinking  of  my 
father,  Ben  :  "  I'd  rather  have  two  mothers  than  two  fathers." 
And  here  the  conversation  ended. 

I  had  contracted  a  great  alliance  with  Mr.  Dott,  the  mid- 
shipman who  followed  Captain  Delmar  about,  just  as  Bob 
used  to  follow  me,  and  generally  remained  in  the  shop  or 
outside  with  me,  when  his  captain  called  upon  my  mother. 
He  was  a  little  wag,  as  full  or  mischief  as  myself,  and  even 
his  awe  of  his  captain,  which,  as  a  youngster  in  the  service, 
was  excessive,  could  not  prevent  him  from  occasionally 
breaking  out.  My  mother  took  great  notice  of  him,  and 
when  he  could  obtain  leave  (which,  indeed,  she  often  asked 
for  him),  invited  him  to  come  to  our  house,  when  he  became 
my  companion  during  his  stay :  we  would  sally  out  together, 
and  vie  with  each  other  in  producing  confusion  and  mirth 

52 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

at  other   people's  expense;   we  became  the  abhorrence  of 
every  old  fruit-woman  and  beggar  in  the  vicinity. 

Captain  Delmar  heard  occasionally  of  my  pranks,  and 
looked  very  majestic  and  severe  ;  but  as  I  was  not  a  middy, 
I  cared  little  for  his  frowns.  At  last  an  opportunity  offered 
which  I  could  not  resist ;  and,  not  daring  to  make  known  my 
scheme  either  to  Captain  Bridgeman  or  Aunt  Milly,  I  con- 
fided it  to  Tommy  Dott,  the  little  middy,  who,  regardless 
of  the  consequences,  joined  me  in  it  heart  and  soul. 

The  theatre  had  been  opened  at  Chatham,  and  had  met 
with  indifferent  success.  I  went  there  once  with  my  aunt 
Milly,  and  twice  with  Mr.  Dott ;  I,  therefore,  knew  my  locale 
well.  It  appeared  that  one  of  the  female  performers,  whose 
benefit  was  shortly  to  take  place,  was  very  anxious  to  obtain 
the  patronage  of  Captain  Delmar,  and,  with  the  usual  tact 
of  women,  had  applied  to  my  mother  in  the  most  obsequious 
manner,  requesting  her  to  espouse  her  cause  with  the  gallant 
captain. 

My  mother,  pleased  with  the  idea  of  becoming,  as  it  were, 
a  patroness  under  the  rose,  did  so  effectually  exert  her  in- 
fluence over  the  captain,  that,  in  a  day  or  two  afterwards, 
play-bills  were  posted  all  over  the  town,  announcing  that  the 
play  of  "  The  Stranger,"  with  the  farce  of  "  Raising  the  Wind," 
would  be  performed  on  Friday  evening,  for  the  benefit  of 
Miss  Mortimer,  under  the  patronage  of  the  Honourable  Cap- 
tain Delmar,  and  the  officers  of  his  Majesty's  ship  Calliope. 
Of  course  the  grateful  young  lady  sent  my  mother  some 
tickets  of  admission,  and  two  of  them  I  reserved  for  Tommy 
Dott  and  myself. 

Captain  Delmar  had  made  a  large  party  of  ladies,  and  of 
course  all  the  officers  of  the  ship  attended ;  the  house  was  as 
full  as  it  could  hold.  My  mother  and  aunt  were  there  in  a 
retired  part  of  the  boxes ;  Tommy  Dott  and  I  entered  the 
theatre  with  them,  and  afterwards  had  gone  up  to  what  is, 
at  the  theatres  at  seaports,  usually  denominated  the  slips, 
that  is,  the  sides  of  the  theatre  on  the  same  range  as  the 
gallery.  There  was  Captain  Delmar,  with  all  his  ladies  and 
all  his  officers,  occupying  nearly  the  whole  of  the  side  of  the 
dress  circle  below  us,  we  having  taken  our  position  above 
him,  so  that  we  might  not  be  observed. 

The  performance  commenced.      Miss  Mortimer,  as  Mrs. 

53 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

Haller,  was  very  effective ;  and  in  the  last  scene  was  com- 
pelling the  eyes  of  the  company  to  water,  when  we  thought 
we  would  produce  a  still  greater  effect. 

We  had  purchased  a  pound  of  the  finest  Scotch  snuff, 
which  we  had  enclosed  in  two  pasteboard  cases,  similar  in 
form  to  those  of  squibs,  only  about  six  times  the  size,  and 
holding  half  a  pound  of  snuff  each.  Our  object  was,  in  doing 
this,  that,  by  jerking  it  all  out  with  a  heave,  we  might  at 
once  throw  it  right  into  the  centre  of  the  theatre  above,  so 
that  in  its  descent  it  might  be  fairly  distributed  among  all 
parties. 

There  was  no  one  in  the  slips  with  us,  except  midshipmen, 
and  a  description  of  people  who  would  consider  it  a  good 
joke,  and  never  would  peach  if  they  perceived  we  were  the 
culprits. 

At  a  signal  between  us,  just  as  Mrs.  Haller  was  giving 
a  paper  to  her  husband,  did  we  give  our  shower  of  snuff  to 
the  audience,  jerking  it  right  across  the  theatre.  In  a  few 
minutes  the  effect  was  prodigious ;  Captain  Delmar's  party 
being  right  beneath  us,  probably  received  a  greater  share, 
for  they  commenced  sneezing  fast,  then  the  boxes  on  the 
other  side ;  the  pit  followed,  and  at  last  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Haller 
and  the  Stranger  were  taken  with  such  a  fit  of  sneezing  that 
they  could  no  longer  talk  to  each  other. 

The  children  were  brought  out  to  their  parents  to  effect 
their  reconciliation,  but  they  did  nothing  but  sneeze,  poor 
things ;  and  at  last  the  uproar  was  tremendous,  and  the 
curtain  was  dropped,  not  to  loud  plaudits,  but  to  loud  sneez- 
ings from  every  part  of  the  theatre. 

Never  was  there  anything  so  ludicrous  ;  the  manager  sent 
officers  up  to  discover  the  offenders,  but  no  one  could  tell 
who  had  played  the  trick ;  he  then  came  before  the  curtain 
to  make  a  speech  upon  the  occasion,  but  having  sneezed 
seven  or  eight  times,  he  was  obliged  to  retire  with  his  hand- 
kerchief to  his  nose ;  and  the  audience,  finding  it  impossible 
to  check  the  titillation  of  the  olfactory  nerves,  abandoned 
the  theatre  as  fast  as  they  could,  leaving  the  farce  of  "  Raising 
the  Wind  "  to  be  performed  to  empty  benches. 

I  hardly  need  say,  that  as  soon  as  we  had  thrown  the 
snuff,  Mr.  Dott  and  I  had  gone  down  and  taken  our  places 
very  demurely  in  the  box  by  the  side  of  my  mother,  and 

54 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

appeared  just  as  astonished,  and  indeed  added  as  much  as 
possible  to  the  company  of  sneezers. 

Captain  Delmar  was  very  furious  at  this  want  of  respect 
of  certain  parties  unknown,  and  had  we  been  discovei'ed, 
whatever  might  have  been  my  fate,  it  would  have  gone  hard 
with  Tommy  Dott ;  but  we  kept  our  own  counsel,  and 
escaped. 

That  I  was  suspected  by  Aunt  Milly  and  Captain  Bridge- 
man  is  certain,  and  my  aunt  taxed  me  with  it,  but  I  would 
not  confess ;  my  mother  also  had  her  suspicions,  but  as 
Captain  Delmar  had  none,  that  was  of  no  consequence. 

The  success  of  this  trick  was  a  great  temptation  to  try 
another  or  two  upon  the  noble  captain.  He  was,  however, 
saved  by  the  simple  fact  of  H.M.'s  ship  Calliope  being  reported 
manned  and  ready  for  sea ;  orders  were  sent  down  for  his 
going  round  to  Portsmouth  to  await  the  commands  of  the 
Lords  Commissioners  of  the  Admiralty,  and  Captain  Delmar 
came  to  pay  his  farewell  visit. 

The  report  from  the  schoolmaster  had  been  very  favour- 
able, and  Captain  Delmar  then  asked  me,  for  the  first  time, 
if  I  would  like  to  be  a  sailor.  As  Captain  Bridgeman  had 
advised  me  not  to  reject  any  good  offer  on  the  part  of  the 
honourable  captain,  I  answered  in  the  affirmative ;  where- 
upon the  captain  replied,  that  if  I  paid  attention  to  my 
learning,  in  a  year's  time  he  would  take  me  with  him  on 
board  of  his  frigate. 

He  then  patted  my  head,  forgot  to  give  me  half-a-crown, 
and  shaking  hands  with  my  mother  and  aunt,  quitted  the 
house,  followed  by  Tommy  Dott,  who,  as  he  went  away, 
turned  and  laughed  his  adieu. 

I  have  not  mentioned  my  grandmother  lately.  The  fact 
is,  that  when  Captain  Delmar  made  his  appearance,  for  some 
cause  or  another,  which  I  could  not  comprehend,  she  declared 
her  intention  of  going  away  and  paying  a  visit  to  her  old 
acquaintances  at  the  Hall.  She  did  so.  As  I  afterwards 
found  out  from  what  I  overheard,  she  had  a  very  great  aver- 
sion to  the  noble  captain ;  but  the  cause  of  her  aversion  was 
never  communicated  to  me.  Soon  after  the  sailing  of  the 
Calliope,  she  again  made  her  appearance,  took  her  old  seat  in 
the  easy-chair,  and  resumed  her  eternal  knitting  as  before. 

55 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 


CHAPTER   XII 

ANOTHER  year  of  my  existence  passed  rapidly  away  ;  I  was 
nearly  thirteen  years  old,  a  sturdy,  bold  boy,  well  fitted  for 
the  naval  profession,  which  I  now  considered  decided  upon, 
and  began  to  be  impatient  to  leave  school,  and  wondered 
that  we  heard  nothing  of  Captain  Delmar,  when  news  was 
received  from  another  quarter. 

One  morning  Captain  Bridgeman  came  much  earlier  than 
usual,  and  with  a  very  grave  face  put  on  especially  for  the 
occasion.  I  had  not  set  off  for  school,  and  ran  up  to  him  ; 
but  he  checked  me,  and  said,  "I  must  see  your  mother 
directly  ;  I  have  very  important  news  for  her." 

I  went  in  to  tell  my  mother,  who  requested  Captain  Bridge- 
man to  come  into  the  parlour,  and  not  being  aware  of  the 
nature  of  the  communication,  ordered  Aunt  Milly  and  me 
into  the  shop  ;  we  waited  for  some  miiiutes,  and  then  Captain 
Bridgeman  made  his  appearance. 

"  What  is  the  matter  ?  "  said  Milly. 

"  Read  this  newspaper,"  said  he  ;  "  there  is  a  despatch 
from  India ;  it  will  tell  you  all  about  it,  and  you  can  show 
it  to  your  sister  when  she  is  more  composed." 

Curious  to  know  what  the  matter  could  be,  I  quitted  the 
shop,  and  went  into  the  parlour,  where  I  saw  my  mother 
with  her  face  buried  in  the  sofa  pillow,  and  apparently  in 
great  distress. 

"  What's  the  matter,  mother  ?  "  said  I. 

"  Oh  !  my  child,  my  child  ! "  replied  my  mother,  wringing 
her  hands,  "you  are  an  orphan,  and  I  am  a  lonely  widow." 

"  How's  that  ?  "  said  I. 

"  How's  that !  "  said  my  grandmother  ;  "  why,  are  you  such 
a  fool  as  not  to  understand  that  your  father  is  dead  ?" 

"  Father's  dead,  is  he  ?  "  replied  I,  "  I'll  go  and  tell  Aunt 
Milly  ; "  and  away  I  went  out  of  the  parlour  to  Milly,  whom 
I  found  reading  the  newspaper. 

"Aunt,"  said  I,  "father's  dead  ;  only  to  think  !  I  wonder 
how  he  died  !  " 

"  He  was  killed  in  action,  dear,"  said  my  aunt ;  "  look  here, 

56 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

here  is  the  account,  and  the  list  of  killed  and  wounded.    D'ye 
see  your  father's  name — Benjamin  Keene,  marine  ?  " 

"Let  me  read  all  about  it,  Aunt  Milly/'  replied  I,  taking 
the  paper  from  her;  and  I  was  soon  very  busy  with  the 
account  of  the  action. 

My  readers  must  not  suppose  that  I  had  no  feeling  because 
I  showed  none  at  my  father's  death ;  if  they  call  to  mind  the 
humble  position  in  which  I  had  always  seen  my  father,  who 
dared  not  even  intrude  upon  the  presence  of  those  with  whom 
my  mother  and  I  were  on  familiar  terms,  and  that  he  was 
ordered  about  just  like  a  servant  by  my  mother,  who  set  me 
no  example  of  fear  or  love  for  him,  they  will  easily  imagine 
that  I  felt  less  for  his  death  than  I  should  have  for  that  of 
Captain  Bridgeman,  or  many  others  with  whom  I  was  on 
intimate  terms. 

What  did  puzzle  me  was,  that  my  mother  should  show  so 
much  feeling  on  the  occasion.  I  did  not  know  the  world 
then,  and  that  decency  required  a  certain  display  of  grief. 
Aunt  Milly  appeared  to  be  very  unconcerned  about  it,  although 
occasionally  she  was  in  deep  thought.  I  put  down  the  paper 
as  soon  as  I  had  read  the  despatch,  and  said  to  her,  "  Well,  I 
suppose  I  must  go  to  school  now,  aunt  ?  " 

"  Oh  no,  dear,"  replied  she ;  "  you  can't  go  to  school  for  a 
few  days  now — it  wouldn't  be  proper ;  you  must  remain  at 
home  and  wait  till  you  have  put  on  mourning." 

"  I  am  glad  of  that,  at  all  events,"  replied  I ;  "  I  wonder 
where  Captain  Delmar  is,  and  why  he  don't  send  for  me;  I 
begin  to  hate  school." 

"  I  dare  say  it  won't  be  long  before  you  hear  from  him, 
dear,"  replied  my  aunt;  "stay  here  and  mind  the  shop, 
while  I  go  in  to  your  mother." 

If  the  truth  was  told,  I  am  afraid  that  the  death  of  Ben 
was  a  source  of  congratulation  to  all  parties  who  yere  then 
in  the  parlour.  As  for  me,  I  was  very  glad  to  have  a  few 
days'  holiday,  being  perfectly  indifferent  as  to  whether  he 
was  dead  or  alive. 

When  I  went  in  I  found  them  in  consultation  as  to  the 
mourning  :  my  mother  did  not,  in  the  first  place,  wish  to 
make  any  parade  about  a  husband  of  whom  she  was  ashamed  ; 
in  the  second,  she  did  not  like  widow's  weeds  and  the  un- 
becoming cap.  So  it  was  decided,  as  Ben  had  been  dead 

57 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

six  months,  and  if  they  had  known  it  before  they  would 
have  been  in  mourning  for  him  all  that  time,  that  half- 
mourning  was  all  that  was  requisite  for  them  ;  and  that,  as  for 
me,  there  was  no  reason  for  my  going  into  mourning  at  all. 

Three  days  after  the  intelligence,  my  mother  reappeared 
in  the  shop ;  the  reason  why  she  did  not  appear  before  was, 
that  her  dress  was  not  ready.  She  looked  very  pretty  indeed 
in  half-mourning,  so  did  my  aunt  Milly ;  and  the  attentions 
of  the  marine  corps,  especially  Captain  Bridgeman  and  Lieu- 
tenant Flat,  were  more  unremitting  than  ever. 

It  appeared  that,  as  the  death  of  Ben  had  removed  the 
great  difficulty  to  my  aunt's  being  married  to  an  officer,  my 
grandmother  had  resolved  to  ascertain  the  intentions  of  Captain 
Bridgeman,  and  if  she  found  that  he  cried  off',  to  persuade 
Milly  to  consent  to  become  Mrs.  Flat.  Whether  she  con- 
sulted my  mother  or  my  aunt  on  this  occasion,  I  cannot 
positively  say,  but  I  rather  think  not. 

My  mother  and  my  aunt  were  walking  out  one  evening, 
when  Captain  Bridgeman  came  in,  and  my  grandmother,  who 
remained  in  the  shop  whenever  rny  mother  and  Milly  went 
out  together,  which  was  very  seldom,  requested  him  to  walk 
into  the  back  parlour,  desiring  me  to  remain  in  the  shop,  and 
let  her  know  if  she  was  wanted. 

Now  when  they  went  into  the  parlour,  the  door  was  left 
ajar,  and  as  I  remained  at  the  back  part  of  the  shop,  I  could 
not  help  overhearing  every  word  which  was  said ;  for  my 
grandmother  being  very  deaf,  as  most  deaf  people  do,  talked 
quite  as  loud  as  Captain  Bridgeman  was  compelled  to  do,  to 
make  her  hear  him. 

"I  wish,  Captain  Bridgeman,  as  a  friend,  to  ask  your 
advice  relative  to  my  daughter  Amelia,"  said  the  old  lady. 
"  Please  to  take  a  chair." 

"  If  there  is  any  opinion  that  I  can  offer  on  the  subject, 
madam,  I  shall  be  most  happy  to  give  it,"  replied  the  captain, 
sitting  down  as  requested. 

"  You  see  my  daughter  Amelia  has  been  well  brought  up 
and  carefully  educated,  as  was,  indeed,  my  daughter  Arabella, 
through  the  kindness  of  my  old  patron,  Mrs.  Delmar,  the 
aunt  of  the  Honourable  Captain  Delmar,  whom  you  have 
often  met  here,  and  who  is  heir  to  the  title  of  De  Versely ; 
that  is  to  say,  his  eldest  brother  has  no  children.  I  have  beea 

58 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

nearly  fifty  years  in  the  family  as  a  confidential,  Captain 
Bridgemaii ;  the  old  lord  was  very  fond  of  my  husband,  who 
was  his  steward,  but  he  died,  poor  man,  a  long  while  ago ;  I 
am  sure  it  would  have  broken  his  heart,  if,  in  his  lifetime,  my 
daughter  Arabella  had  made  the  foolish  match  which  she  did 
with  a  private  marine  ;  however,  what's  done  can' t  be  helped, 
as  the  saying  is — that's  all  over  now." 

"  It  was  certainly  a  great  pity  that  Mrs.  Keene  should 
have  been  so  foolish,"  replied  Captain  Bridgeman ;  "  but,  as 
you  say,  that  is  all  over  now." 

tf  Yes ;  God's  will  be  done,  Captain  Bridgeman.  Now  you 
see,  sir,  that  this  marriage  of  Bella's  has  done  no  good  to  the 
prospects  of  her  sister  Amelia,  who,  nevertheless,  is  a  good 
and  pretty  girl,  though  I  say  it,  who  am  her  mother;  and, 
moreover,  she  will  bring  a  pretty  penny  to  her  husband, 
whoever  he  may  be;  for  you  see,  Captain  Bridgeman,  my 
husband  was  not  idle  during  the  time  that  he  was  in  the 
family  of  the  Delmars,  and  as  her  sister  is  so  well-to-do,  why, 
little  Amelia  will  come  into  a  greater  share  than  she  other- 
wise would — that  is,  if  she  marries  well,  and  according  to  the 
wishes  of  her  mother." 

At  this  interesting  part  of  the  conversation  Captain  Bridge- 
man leant  more  earnestly  towards  my  grandmother. 

"A  pretty  penny,  madam,  you  said;  I  never  heard  the 
expression  before  ;  what  may  a  pretty  penny  mean  ?  " 

"  It  means,  first  and  last,  £4000,  Captain  Bridgeman ;  part 
down,  and  the  other  when  I  die." 

"  Indeed,"  replied  Captain  Bridgeman  ;  "  I  certainly  never 
thought  that  Miss  Amelia  would  ever  have  any  fortune ; 
indeed,  she's  too  pretty  and  accomplished  to  require  any." 

"  Now,  sir,"  continued  my  grandmother,  "  the  point  on 
which  I  wish  to  consult  you  is  this  :  you  know  that  Lieutenant 
Flat  is  very  often  here,  and  for  a  long  while  has  been  very 
attentive  to  my  daughter ;  he  has,  I  believe,  almost  as  much 
as  proposed— that  is,  in  his  sort  of  way;  but  my  daughter 
does  not  seem  to  care  for  him.  Now,  Captain  Bridgeman, 
Mr.  Flat  may  not  be  very  clever,  but  I  believe  him  to  be  a 
very  worthy  young  man  ;  still  one  must  be  cautious,  and  what 
I  wish  to  know  before  I  interfere  and  persuade  my  daughter 
to  marry  him  is,  whether  you  think  that  Mr.  Flat  is  of  a 
disposition  which  would  make  the  marriage  state  a  happy 

59 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

one ;  for  you  see,  Captain  Bridgeman,  love  before  marriage 
is  very  apt  to  fly  away,  but  love  that  comes  after  marriage 
will  last  out  your  life." 

"  Well,  madam,"  replied  the  captain,  "  I  will  be  candid 
with  you  ;  I  do  not  think  that  a  clever  girl  like  Miss  Amelia 
is  likely  to  be  happy  as  the  wife  of  my  good  friend  Mr.  Flat ; 
still  there  is  nothing  against  his  character,  madam  ;  I  believe 
him  harmless — very  harmless." 

"  He's  a  very  fine-looking  young  man,  Captain  Bridgeman." 

"  Yes ;  nothing  to  be  found  fault  with  in  his  appearance." 

"Very  good-natured." 

"  Yes ;  he's  not  very  quick  in  temper,  or  anything  else ; 
he's  what  we  call  a  slow-coach." 

"  I  hear  he's  a  very  correct  officer,  Captain  Bridgeman." 

"Yes;  I  am  not  aware  that  he  has  ever  been  under  an 
arrest." 

"  Well,  we  cannot  expect  everything  in  this  world :  he  is 
handsome,  good-tempered,  and  a  good  officer ;  I  cannot  see 
why  Amelia  does  not  like  him,  particularly  as  her  affections 
are  not  otherwise  engaged.  I  am  satisfied  with  the  answer 
you  have  given,  Captain  Bridgeman,  and  now  I  shall  point 
out  to  Amelia  that  I  expect  she  will  make  up  her  mind  to 
accept  Mr.  Flat." 

Here  Captain  Bridgeman  hesitated. 

"Indeed,  madam,  if  her  affections  are  not  otherwise  en- 
gaged— I  say — are  not  engaged,  madam,  I  do  not  think  she 
could  do  better.  Would  you  like  me  to  sound  Miss  Amelia 
on  the  subject?" 

"  Really,  Captain  Bridgeman,  it  is  very  kind  of  you ;  you 
may,  perhaps,  persuade  her  to  listen  to  your  friend  Mr.  Flat." 

"  I  will,  at  all  events,  ascertain  her  real  sentiments,  madam," 
said  the  captain,  rising ;  "  and,  if  you  please,  I  will  say  fare- 
well for  the  present." 

As  my  grandmother  anticipated,  the  scale,  which  had  been 
so  long  balanced  by  Captain  Bridgeman,  was  weighed  down 
in  favour  of  marriage  by  the  death  of  my  father  Ben,  and  the 
unexpected  fortune  of  £4000. 

The  next  day  the  captain  proposed  and  was  accepted,  and 
six  weeks  from  that  date  my  aunt  Milly  became  his  wife. 

The  wedding  was  very  gay ;  some  people  did  sneer  at  the 
match,  but  where  was  there  ever  a  match  without  a  sueer  ? 

do 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

There  are  always  and  everywhere  people  to  be  found  who 
will  envy  the  happiness  of  others.  Some  talked  about  the 
private  marine ;  this  attack  was  met  with  the  £4000  (or 
rather  £8000  per  annum,  for  rumour,  as  usual,  had  doubled 
the  sum) ;  others  talked  of  the  shop  as  infra  dig.  ;  the  set-off 
against  which  was,  the  education  and  beauty  of  the  bride. 
One  or  two  subs'  wives  declared  that  they  would  not  visit 
Mrs.  Bridgeman ;  but  when  the  colonel  and  his  lady  called 
to  congratulate  the  new-married  couple,  and  invited  a  large 
party  in  their  own  house  to  meet  them,  then  the  subs'  wives 
left  their  cards  as  soon  as  they  could. 

In  a  few  weeks  all  was  right  again :  my  mother  would  not 
give  up  her  shop — it  was  too  lucrative ;  but  she  was  on  more 
intimate  terms  with  her  customers.  And  when  people  found 
that,  although  her  sister  was  a  captain's  lady,  my  mother  had 
too  much  sense  to  be  ashamed  of  her  position,  why,  they 
liked  her  the  better.  Indeed,  as  she  was  still  very  hand- 
some, one  or  two  of  the  marine  officers,  now  that  she  was  a 
widow,  paid  her  very  assiduous  court ;  but  my  mother  had  no 
intention  of  entering  again  into  the  holy  state — she  preferred 
STATE  in  quo.  She  had  no  one  to  care  for  but  me,  and  for  me 
she  continued  her  shop  and  library,  although,  I  believe,  she 
could  have  retired  upon  a  comfortable  independence,  had 
she  chosen  so  to  do. 

My  mother,  whatever  she  might  have  been  when  a  girl, 
was  now  a  strong-minded,  clever  woman.  It  must  have  been 
a  painful  thing  for  her  to  have  made  up  her  mind  to  allow 
me  to  go  to  sea ;  I  was  her  only  child,  her  only  care ;  I 
believe  she  loved  me  dearly,  although  she  was  not  so  lavish 
of  her  caresses  as  my  aunt  Milly ;  but  she  perceived  that  it 
would  be  for  my  advantage  that  I  should  insure  the  patron- 
age and  protection  of  Captain  Delmar,  and  she  sacrificed  self 
to  my  interest. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

a  month  after  my  aunt's  marriage,  a  letter  was 
received  from  Captain  Delmar,  who  had  arrived  at  Spithead, 
requesting  my  mother  to  send  me  to  Portsmouth  as  soon  as 

' 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

she  could,  and  not  go  to  the  trouble  or  expense  of  fitting  me 
out,  as  he  would  take  that  upon  himself. 

This  was  but  short  notice  to  give  a  fond  mother,  but  there 
was  no  help  for  it ;  she  returned  an  answer,  that  in  three 
days  from  the  date  of  the  letter,  I  should  be  there. 

I  was  immediately  summoned  from  school,  that  she  might 
see  as  much  of  me  as  possible  before  I  went ;  and  although 
she  did  not  attempt  to  detain  me,  I  perceived,  very  often, 
the  tears  run  down  her  cheeks. 

My  grandmother  thought  proper  to  make  me  very  long 
speeches  every  three  or  four  hours,  the  substance  of  which 
may  be  comprehended  in  very  few  words — to  wit,  that  I  had 
been  a  very  bad  boy,  and  that  I  was  little  better  now ;  that 
I  had  been  spoiled  by  over-indulgence,  and  that  it  was  lucky 
my  aunt  Milly  was  not  so  much  with  me ;  that  on  board  a 
man-of-war  I  dare  not  play  tricks,  and  that  I  would  find  it 
very  different  from  being  at  home  with  my  mother;  that 
Captain  Delmar  was  a  very  great  man,  and  that  I  must  be 
very  respectful  to  him ;  that  some  day  I  should  thank  her 
very  much  for  being  so  kind  to  me ;  that  she  hoped  I  would 
behave  well,  and  that  if  I  did  not,  she  hoped  that  I  would 
get  a  good  beating. 

Such  was  the  burden  of  her  song,  till  at  last  I  got  very 
tired  of  it,  and  on  the  third  evening  I  broke  away  from  her, 
saying,  "  Law,  granny,  how  you  do  twaddle  ! "  upon  which 
she  called  me  a  good-for-nothing  young  blackguard,  and  felt 
positively  sure  that  I  should  be  hanged.  The  consequence 
was,  that  granny  and  I  did  not  part  good  friends,  and  I  sin- 
cerely hoped  that  when  I  had  come  back  again,  I  should  not 
find  her  above  ground. 

The  next  morning  I  bade  farewell  to  my  dear  aunt  Milly 
and  Captain  Bridgeman,  received  a  very  ungracious  salute 
from  granny,  who  appeared  to  think,  as  she  kissed  me,  that 
her  lips  were  touching  something  poisonous,  and  set  off  with 
my  mother  in  the  coach  to  Portsmouth. 

We  arrived  safe  at  Portsmouth,  and  my  mother  imme- 
diately took  lodgings  on  the  Common  Hard  at  Portsea. 
The  next  day,  having  dressed  herself  with  great  care,  with 
a  very  thick  veil  on  her  bonnet,  my  mother  walked  with  me 
to  the  George  Hotel,  where  Captain  Delmar  had  taken  up 
his  quarters. 

62 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

On  my  mother  sending  up  her  card,  we  were  immediately 
ushered  upstairs,  and  on  entering  the  room  found  the 
Honourable  Captain  Delmar  sitting  down  in  full  uniform — 
his  sword  and  hat,  and  numerous  papers,  lying  on  the  table 
before  him.  On  one  side  of  the  table  stood  a  lieutenant, 
hat  in  hand ;  on  the  other,  the  captain's  clerk,  with  papers 
for  him  to  sign.  My  friend  Tommy  Dott  was  standing  at 
the  window  chasing  a  blue-bottle  fly,  for  want  of  something 
better  to  do ;  and  the  steward  was  waiting  for  orders  behind 
the  captain's  chair. 

My  mother,  who  had  pulled  down  her  veil,  so  that  her 
face  was  not  visible,  made  a  slight  courtesy  to  Captain 
Delmar,  who  rose  up  and  advanced  to  receive  her  very 
graciously,  requesting  that  she  would  be  seated  for  a  minute 
or  two,  till  he  had  time  to  speak  to  her. 

I  have  thought  since,  that  my  honourable  captain  had  a 
mind  to  impress  upon  my  mother  the  state  and  dignity  of  a 
captain  in  his  Majesty's  service,  when  in  commission.  He 
took  no  notice  whatever  of  me.  Tommy  Dott  gave  me  a 
wink  of  his  eye  from  the  window,  and  I  returned  the  com- 
pliment by  putting  my  tongue  into  my  cheek  ;  but  the  other 
parties  were  too  much  occupied  with  the  captain  to  perceive 
our  friendly  recognition.  Captain  Delmar  continued  to  give 
various  orders,  and  after  a  time  the  officers  attending  were 
dismissed. 

As  soon  as  we  were  alone,  my  mother  was  addressed  in,  I 
thought,  rather  a  pompous  way,  and  very  much  in  contrast 
with  his  previous  politeness  before  others.  Captain  Delmar 
informed  her  that  he  should  take  me  immediately  under  his 
protection,  pay  all  my  expenses,  and,  if  I  behaved  well, 
advance  me  in  the  service. 

At  this  announcement,  my  mother  expressed  a  great  deal 
of  gratitude,  and  shedding  a  few  tears,  said,  that  the  boy 
would  in  future  look  up  to  him  as  a  parent.  To  this  speech 
Captain  Delmar  made  no  reply;  but,  changing  the  conver- 
sation, told  her  that  he  expected  to  sail  in  about  three  or 
four  days,  and  that  no  time  must  be  lost  in  fitting  me  out ; 
that,  all  things  considered,  he  thought  it  advisable  that  she 
should  return  at  once  to  Chatham,  and  leave  the  boy  with 
him,  as  she  could  not  know  what  was  requisite  for  me,  and 
would  therefore  be  of  no  use. 

63 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

At  the  idea  of  parting  with  me,  my  mother  cried  bitterly. 
Captain  Delmar  did  then  rise  off  his  chair,  and  taking  my 
mother  by  the  hand,  speak  to  her  a  few  words  of  consolation. 
My  mother  removed  her  handkerchief  from  her  eyes  and 
sighed  deeply,  saying  to  Captain  Delmar,  with  an  appealing 
look,  "  Oh  !  Captain  Delmar,  remember  that  for  you  I  have 
indeed  made  great  sacrifices ;  do  not  forget  them,  when  you 
look  at  that  boy,  who  is  very  dear  to  me." 

"  I  will  do  him  justice,"  replied  the  captain,  somewhat 
affected,  "but  I  must  insist  upon  inviolable  secrecy  on 
your  part;  you  must  promise  me  that  under  any  circum- 
stances  " 

"  I  have  obeyed  you  for  thirteen  years,"  replied  my 
mother ;  "  I  am  not  likely  to  forget  my  promise  now ;  it  is 
hard  to  part  with  him,  but  I  leave  him  in  the  hands  of " 

"You  forget  the  boy  is  there,"  interrupted  Captain 
Delmar ;  "  take  him  away  now ;  to-morrow  morning  I  will 
send  my  coxswain  for  him,  and  you  must  go  back  to 
Chatham." 

"  God  bless  you,  sir,"  replied  my  mother,  weeping,  as 
Captain  Delmar  shook  her  hand,  and  then  we  left  the  room. 
As  we  were  walking  back  to  our  lodging,  I  inquired  of  my 
mother — "What's  the  secret  between  you  and  Captain 
Delmar,  mother  ?  " 

"  The  secret,  child  !  Oh,  something  which  took  place  at 
the  time  I  was  living  with  his  aunt,  and  which  he  does  not 
wish  to  have  known ;  so  ask  me  no  more  questions  about  it." 

After  our  return,  my  mother  gave  me  a  great  deal  of 
advice.  She  told  me  that,  as  I  had  lost  my  father  Ben,  I 
must  now  look  upon  Captain  Delmar  as  a  father  to  me ;  that 
Ben  had  been  a  faithful  servant  to  the  captain,  and  that  she 
had  been  the  same  to  Mrs.  Delmar,  his  aunt ;  and  that  was 
the  reason  why  Captain  Delmar  was  interested  about  me, 
and  had  promised  to  do  so  much  for  me ;  begging  me  to 
treat  him  with  great  respect,  and  never  venture  to  play  him 
any  tricks,  or  otherwise  he  would  be  highly  offended,  and 
send  me  home  again ;  and  then  I  should  never  rise  to  be  an 
officer  in  his  Majesty's  service. 

I  cannot  say  the  advice  received  the  attention  it  deserved, 
for  I  felt  more  inclined  to  play  tricks  to  my  honourable 
captain  than  any  person  I  ever  met  with ;  however,  I 

64> 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

appeared  to  consent,  and,  in  return,  begged  my  mother  to 
take  care  of  my  dog  Bob,  which  she  promised  to  do. 

My  mother  cried  a  great  deal  during  the  night ;  the  next 
morning  she  gave  me  five  guineas  as  pocket-money,  recom- 
mending me  to  be  careful  of  it,  and  telling  me  I  must  look 
to  Captain  Delmar  for  my  future  supply.  She  tied  up  the 
little  linen  I  had  brought  with  me  in  a  handkerchief,  and 
shortly  after  the  coxswain  knocked  at  the  door,  and  came 
upstairs  to  claim  me  for  his  Majesty's  service. 

"I'm  come  for  the  youngster,  if  you  please,  marm,"  said 
the  coxswain,  a  fine,  tall  seaman,  remarkably  clean  and  neat 
in  his  dress. 

My  mother  put  her  arms  round  me,  and  burst  into  tears. 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  marm,"  said  the  coxswain,  after 
standing  silent  about  a  minute,  "but  could  not  you  do  the 
piping  after  the  youngster's  gone  ?  If  I  stay  here  long  I 
shall  be  blowed  up  by  the  skipper  as  sure  as  my  name's 
Bob  Cross." 

"  I  will  detain  you  but  a  few  seconds  longer,"  replied  my 
mother ;  "  I  may  never  see  him  again." 

"Well,  that's  a  fact;  my  poor  mother  never  did  me," 
replied  the  coxswain. 

This  observation  did  not  raise  my  mother's  spirits.  Another 
pause  ensued,  during  which  I  was  bedewed  with  her  tears, 
when  the  coxswain  approached  again — 

"  I  ax  your  pardon,  marm  ;  but  if  you  know  anything  of 
Captain  Delmar,  you  must  know  he's  not  a  man  to  be  played 
with,  and  you  would  not  wish  to  get  me  into  trouble.  It's  a 
hard  thing  to  part  with  a  child,  I'm  told ;  but  it  wouldn't 
help  me  if  I  said  anything  about  your  tears.  If  the  captain 
were  to  go  to  the  boat,  and  find  me  not  there,  he'd  just  say, 
'  What  were  my  orders,  sir  ? '  and  after  that,  you  know,  marm, 
there  is  not  a  word  for  me  to  say." 

"Take  him,  then,  my  good  man,"  replied  my  mother, 
pressing  me  convulsively  to  her  heart — "  take  him ;  Heaven 
bless  you,  my  dear  child." 

"Thanky,  marm  ;  that's  kind  of  you,"  replied  the  coxswain. 
"  Come,  my  little  fellow,  we'll  soon  make  a  man  of  you." 

I  once  more  pressed  my  lips  to  my  poor  mother's,  and  she 
resigned  me  to  the  coxswain,  at  the  same  time  taking  some 
silver  off  the  table  and  putting  it  into  his  hand. 

65  E 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

"  Thanky,  marm ;  that's  kinder  still,  to  think  of  another 
when  you're  in  distress  yourself;  I  shan't  forget  it.  I'll 
look  after  the  lad  a  bit  for  you,  as  sure  as  my«name's  Bob 
Cross." 

My  mother  sank  down  on  the  sofa,  with  her  handkerchief 
to  her  eyes. 

Bob  Cross  caught  up  the  bundle,  and  led  me  away.  I 
was  very  melancholy,  for  I  loved  my  mother,  and  could  not 
bear  to  see  her  so  distressed,  and  for  some  time  we  walked 
on  without  speaking. 

The  coxswain  first  broke  the  silence — "  What's  your  name, 
my  little  Trojan  ?  "  said  he. 

"  Percival  Keene." 

"  Well,  I'm  blessed  if  I  didn't  think  that  you  were  one  of 
the  Delmar  breed,  by  the  cut  of  your  jib ;  howsomever,  it's 
a  wise  child  that  knows  its  own  father." 

"  Father's  dead,"  replied  I. 

"  Dead !  Well,  fathers  do  die  sometimes ;  you  must  get 
on  how  you  can  without  one.  I  don't  think  fathers  are  of 
much  use,  for,  you  see,  mothers  take  care  of  you  till  you're 
old  enough  to  go  to  sea.  My  father  did  nothing  for  me,  ex- 
cept to  help  mother  to  lick  me,  when  I  was  obstropolous." 

The  reader,  from  what  he  has  already  been  informed  about 
Ben  the  marine,  may  easily  conceive  that  I  was  very  much 
of  Bob  Cross's  opinion. 

"  I  suppose  you  don't  know  anybody  on  board — do  you  ?  " 

"Yes,  I  know  Tommy  Dott — I  knew  him  when  the  ship 
was  at  Chatham." 

"Oh!  Mr.  Tommy  Dott;  I  dare  say  you're  just  like  him, 
for  you  look  full  of  mischief.  He's  a  very  nice  young  man 
for  a  small  party,  as  the  saying  is  ;  there  is  more  devil  in  his 
little  carcass  than  in  two  women's,  and  that's  not  a  trifle ; 
you'll  hunt  in  couples,  I  dare  say,  and  get  well  flogged  at  the 
same  gun,  if  you  don't  take  care.  Now,  here  we  are,  and  I 
must  report  my  arrival  with  you  under  convoy." 

Bob  Cross  sent  a  waiter  for  the  captain's  steward,  who 
went  up  to  Captain  Delmar.  I  was  ordered  to  go  upstairs, 
and  again  found  myself  in  the  presence  of  the  noble  captain, 
and  a  very  stout,  elderly  man,  with  a  flaxen  wig. 

"This  is  the  lad,"  said  Captain  Delmar,  when  I  came  into 
the  room  and  walked  up  to  him ;  "  you  know  exactly  what 

66 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

he  requires  ;  oblige  me  by  seeing  him  properly  fitted  out,  and 
the  bill  sent  in  to  me." 

"Your  orders  shall  be  strictly  obeyed,  Captain  Delmar/* 
said  the  old  gentleman,  with  a  profound  bow. 

"You  had  better  not  order  too  many  things,  as  he  is  grow- 
ing fast';  it  will  be  easy  to  make  good  any  deficiencies  as 
they  may  be  required." 

"Your  orders  shall  be  most  strictly  obeyed,  Captain  Del- 
mar/'  replied  the  old  gentleman,  with  another  bow. 

"  I  hardly  know  what  to  do  with  him  for  to-day  and  to- 
morrow, until  his  uniforms  are  made,"  continued  the  captain  ; 
"  I  suppose  he  must  go  on  board." 

"  If  you  have  no  objection,  Captain  Delmar,"  said  the  old 
gentleman,  with  another  low  bow,  "  I  am  sure  that  Mrs.  Cul- 
pepper  will  be  most  proud  to  take  charge  of  any  protege  of 
yours ;  we  have  a  spare  bed,  and  the  young  gentleman  can 
remain  with  us  until  he  is  ready  to  embark  in  the  uniform  of 
his  rank." 

"  Be  it  so,  Mr.  Culpepper ;  let  your  wife  take  care  of  him 
until  all  is  complete,  and  his  chest  is  ready.  You'll  oblige  me 
by  arranging  about  his  mess." 

"  Your  wishes  shall  be  most  strictly  attended  to,  Captain 
Delmar,"  replied  Mr.  Culpepper,  with  another  profound  incli- 
nation, which  made  me  feel  very  much  inclined  to  laugh. 

"  If  you  have  no  further  orders,  Captain  Delmar,  I  will  now 
take  the  young  gentleman  with  me." 

"Nothing  more,  Mr.  Culpepper — good  morning,"  replied 
Captain  Delmar,  who  neither  said  how-d'ye-do  to  me  when  I 
came  in,  nor  good-bye  when  I  went  away  in  company  with 
Mr.  Culpepper.  I  had  yet  to  learn  what  a  thing  of  no  conse- 
quence was  a  "  sucking  Nelson." 

I  followed  Mr.  Culpepper  downstairs,  who  desired  me  to 
remain  with  the  coxswain,  who  was  standing  under  the  arch- 
way, while  he  spoke  to  the  captain's  steward. 

"Well,"  said  Bob  Cross,  "what's  the  ticket,  youngster? — • 
are  you  to  go  aboard  with  me  ?  " 

"  No,"  said  I ;  "  I  am  to  stay  on  shore  with  that  old  chap, 
who  does  nothing  but  bob  his  head  up  and  down.  Who 
is  he  ?  " 

"That's  our  nipcheese." 

"  Nipcheese  !  " 

67 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

"  Yes ;  nipcheese  means  purser  of  the  ship — you'll  find  all 
that  out  by-and-by ;  you've  got  lots  to  larn,  and,  by  way  of  a 
hint,  make  him  your  friend  if  you  can,  for  he  earwigs  the 
captain  in  fine  style." 

Perceiving  that  I  did  not  understand  him,  Bob  Cross  con- 
tinued :  "  I  mean  that  our  captain's  very  fond  of  the  officers 
paying  him  great  respect,  and  he  likes  all  that  bowing  and 
scraping  ;  he  don't  like  officers  or  men  to  touch  their  hats,  but 
to  take  them  right  off  their  heads  when  they  speak  to  him. 
You  see,  he's  a  sprig  of  nobility,  as  they  call  it,  and,  what's 
more,  he's  also  a  post-captain,  and  thinks  no  small  beer  of 
himself;  so  don't  forget  what  I  say — here  comes  the  purser." 

Mr.  Culpepper  now  came  out,  and,  taking  my  hand,  led 
me  away  to  his  own  house,  which  was  at  Southsea.  He  did 
not  speak  a  word  during  the  walk,  but  appeared  to  be  in 
deep  cogitation :  at  last  we  arrived  at  his  door. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

W  HY  is  it  that  I  detain  the  reader  with  Mr.  Culpepper  and 
his  family  ?  I  don't  know,  but  I  certainly  have  an  inclination 
to  linger  over  every  little  detail  of  events  which  occurred  upon 
my  first  plunging  into  the  sea  of  life,  just  as  naked  boys  on 
the  New  River  side  stand  shivering  a  while  before  they  can 
make  up  their  minds  to  dash  into  the  unnatural  element ;  for 
men  are  not  ducks,  although  they  do  show  some  affinity  to 
geese  by  their  venturing  upon  the  treacherous  fluid. 

The  door  was  opened,  and  I  found  myself  in  the  presence 
of  Mrs.  Culpepper  and  her  daughter, — the  heiress,  as  I  after- 
wards discovered,  to  all  Mr.  Culpepper's  savings,  which  were 
asserted  to  be  something  considerable,  after  thirty  years'  em- 
ployment as  purser  of  various  vessels  belonging  to  his  Majesty. 

Mrs.  Culpepper  was  in  person  enormous — she  looked  like  a 
feather-bed  standing  on  end ;  her  cheeks  were  as  large  as  a 
dinner-plate,  eyes  almost  as  imperceptible  as  a  mole's,  nose 
just  visible,  mouth  like  a  round  O.  It  was  said  that  she 
was  once  a  great  Devonshire  beauty.  Time,  who  has  been 
denominated  Edax  rerum,  certainly  had  as  yet  left  her 

68 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

untouched,  reserving  her  for  a  bonne  bouche  on  some  future 
occasion. 

She  sat  in  a  very  large  arm-chair — indeed,  no  common- 
sized  chair  could  have  received  her  capacious  person.  She 
did  not  get  up  when  I  entered ;  indeed,  as  I  discovered,  she 
made  but  two  attempts  to  stand  during  the  twenty-four  hours; 
one  was  to  come  out  of  her  bedroom,  which  was  on  the  same 
floor  as  the  parlour,  and  the  other  to  go  in  again. 

Miss  Culpepper  was  somewhat  of  her  mother's  build.  She 
might  have  been  twenty  years  old,  and  was,  for  a  girl  of  her 
age,  exuberantly  fat ;  yet,  as  her  skin  and  complexion  were 
not  coarse,  many  thought  her  handsome ;  but  she  promised 
to  be  as  large  as  her  mother,  and  certainly  was  not  at  all 
suited  for  a  wife  to  a  subaltern  of  a  marching  regiment. 

"  Who  have  we  here  ?  "  said  Mrs.  Culpepper  to  her  husband, 
in  a  sort  of  low  croak ;  for  she  was  so  smothered  with  fat 
that  she  could  not  get  her  voice  out. 

"  Well,  I  hardly  know,"  replied  the  gentleman,  wiping  his 
forehead,  "  but  I've  my  own  opinion." 

"  Mercy  on  me,  how  very  like  !  "  exclaimed  Miss  Culpepper, 
looking  at  me,  and  then  at  her  father.  "  Would  not  you  like 
to  go  into  the  garden,  little  boy?"  continued  she ;  "there, 
through  the  passage,  out  of  the  door, — you  can't  miss  it." 

As  this  was  almost  a  command,  I  did  not  refuse  to  go ;  but 
as  soon  as  I  was  in  the  garden,  which  was  a  small  patch  of 
ground  behind  the  house,  as  the  window  to  the  parlour  was 
open,  and  my  curiosity  was  excited  by  their  evidently  wishing 
to  say  something  which  they  did  not  wish  me  to  hear,  I 
stopped  under  the  window  and  listened. 

"  The  very  picture  of  him,"  continued  the  young  lady. 

"  Yes,  yes,  very  like  indeed,"  croaked  the  old  one. 

"  All  I  know  is,"  said  Mr.  Culpepper,  "  Captain  Delmar  has 
desired  me  to  fit  him  out,  and  that  he  pays  all  the  expenses." 

"Well,  that's  another  proof,"  said  the  young  lady;  "he 
wouldn't  pay  for  other  people's  children." 

"  He  was  brought  down  here  by  a  very  respectable-looking, 
I  may  say  interesting,  and  rather  pretty  woman, — I  should 
think  about  thirty." 

"  Then  she  must  have  been  handsome  when  this  boy  was 
born,"  replied  the  young  lady:  "I  consider  that  another 
proof.  Where  is  she  ? " 

69 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

"  Went  away  this  morning  by  the  day-coach,  leaving  the 
boy  with  the  captain,  who  sent  his  coxswain  for  him." 

"  There's  mystery  about  that/'  rejoined  the  daughter,  "  and 
therefore  I  consider  it  another  proof." 

"  Yes,"  said  Mr.  Culpepper,  "  and  a  strong  one  too.  Captain 
Delmar  is  so  high  and  mighty,  that  he  would  not  have  it 
thought  that  he  could  ever  condescend  to  have  an  intrigue 
with  one  beneath  him  in  rank  and  station,  and  he  has  sent 
her  away  on  that  account,  depend  upon  it." 

"  Just  so ;  and  if  that  boy  is  not  a  son  of  Captain  Delmar, 
I'm  not  a  woman." 

"  I  am  of  that  opinion,"  replied  the  father,  "  and  therefore 
I  offered  to  take  charge  of  him,  as  the  captain  did  not  know 
what  to  do  with  him  till  his  uniform  was  ready." 

"Well,"  replied  Miss.  Culpepper,  "I'll  soon  find  out  more. 
I'll  pump  everything  that  he  knows  out  of  him  before  he 
leaves  us ;  I  know  how  to  put  that  and  that  together." 

"  Yes,"  croaked  the  fat  mother ;  "  Medea  knows  how  to 
put  that  and  that  together,  as  well  as  any  one." 

"  You  must  be  very  civil  and  very  kind  to  him,"  said  Mr. 
Culpepper;  "for,  depend  upon  it,  the  very  circumstance  of 
the  captain's  being  compelled  to  keep  the  boy  at  a  distance 
will  make  him  feel  more  fond  of  him." 

"  I've  no  patience  with  the  men  in  that  respect,"  observed 
the  young  lady ;  "  how  nobility  can  so  demean  themselves  I 
can't  think.  No  wonder  they  are  ashamed  of  what  they  have 
done,  and  will  not  acknowledge  their  own  offspring." 

"  No,  indeed,"  croaked  the  old  lady. 

"  If  a  woman  has  the  misfortune  to  yield  to  her  inclinations, 
they  don't  let  her  off  so  easily,"  exclaimed  Miss  Medea. 

"No,  indeed,"  croaked  the  mamma  again. 

"  Men  make  the  laws  and  break  them,"  continued  Miss 
Culpepper.  "  Mere  brute  strength,  even  in  the  most  civilised 
society.  If  all  women  had  only  the  spirit  that  I  have,  there 
would  be  a  little  alteration,  and  more  justice." 

"I  can't  pretend  to  argue  with  you,  Medea,"  replied  Mr. 
Culpepper ;  "  I  take  the  world  as  I  find  it,  and  make  the  best 
of  it.  I  must  go  now, — my  steward  is  waiting  for  me  at  the 
victualling  office.  Just  brush  my  hat  a  little,  Medea,  the 
wind  has  raised  the  nap,  and  then  I'll  be  off." 

I  walked  very  softly  from  the  window;  a  new  light  had 

70 


PERC1VAL  KEENE 

burst  upon  me.  Young  as  I  was,  I  also  could  put  that  and 
that  together.  I  called  to  mind  the  conduct  of  my  mother 
towards  her  husband  Ben  ;  the  dislike  of  my  grandmother  to 
Captain  Delmar ;  the  occasional  conversations  I  had  over- 
heard ;  the  question  of  my  mother  checked  before  it  was 
finished — "  If  I  knew  who  it  was  that  I  had  been  playing 
the  trick  to ; "  the  visits  my  mother  received  from  Captain 
Delmar,  who  was  so  haughty  and  distant  to  everybody ;  his 
promise  to  provide  for  me,  and  my  mother's  injunctions  to  me 
to  be  obedient,  and  look  up  to  him  as  a  father,  and  the 
remarks  of  the  coxswain,  Bob  Cross, — "If  I  were  not  of  the 
Delmar  breed  :"  all  this,  added  to  what  I  had  just  overheard, 
satisfied  me  that  they  were  not  wrong  in  their  conjectures, 
and  that  I  really  was  the  son  of  the  honourable  captain. 

My  mother  had  gone  :  I  Avould  have  given  worlds  to  have 
gained  this  information  before,  that  I  might  have  questioned 
her,  and  obtained  the  truth  from  her ;  but  that  was  now  im- 
possible, and  I  felt  convinced  thab  writing  was  of  no  use.  I 
recollected  the  conversation  between  her  and  the  captain,  in 
which  she  promised  to  keep  the  secret,  and  the  answer  she 
gave  me  when  I  questioned  her ;  nothing,  then,  but  my  tears 
and  entreaties  could  have  any  effect,  and  those  I  knew  were 
powerful  over  her ;  neither  would  it  be  of  any  use  to  ask 
Aunt  Milly,  for  she  would  not  tell  her  sister's  secrets,  so  I 
resolved  to  say  nothing  about  it  for  the  present ;  and  I  did 
not  forget  that  Mr.  Culpepper  had  said  that  Captain  Delmar 
would  be  annoyed  if  it  was  supposed  that  I  was  his  son.  I 
resolved,  therefore,  that  I  would  not  let  him  imagine  that  I 
knew  anything  about  it,  or  had  any  idea  of  it. 

I  remained  more  than  an  hour  in  deep  thought,  and  it  was 
strange  what  a  tumult  there  was  in  my  young  heart  at  this 
discovery.  I  hardly  comprehended  the  nature  of  my  posi- 
tion, yet  I  felt  pleased  on  the  whole ;  I  felt  as  if  I  were  of 
more  importance ;  nay,  that  I  was  more  capable  of  thinking 
and  acting  than  I  was  twenty-four  hours  before. 

My  reveries  were,  however,  disturbed  by  Miss  Medea,  who 
came  to  the  back-door,  and  asked  me  if  I  was  not  tired  of 
walking,  and  if  I  would  not  like  to  come  in. 

"  Are  you  not  hungry,  Master  Keene  ?  Would  you  like  to 
have  a  nice  piece  of  cake  and  a  glass  of  currant  wine  before 
dinner  ?  We  shall  not  dine  till  three  o'clock." 

71 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

u  If  you  please/'  replied  I ;  for  I  would  not  refuse  the 
bribe,  although  I  had  a  perfect  knowledge  why  it  was 
offered. 

Miss  Medea  brought  the  cake  and  wine.  As  soon  as  I 
had  despatched  them,  which  did  not  take  very  long,  she 
commenced  her  pumping,  as  I  had  anticipated,  and  which  I 
was  determined  to  thwart,  merely  out  of  opposition. 

"  You  were  sorry  to  leave  your  mamma,  weren't  you, 
Master  Keene  ?  " 

"  Yes  ;  very  sorry,  miss." 

"  Where's  your  papa,  dearest  ?  He's  a  very  pretty  boy, 
mamma,  ain't  he  ? "  continued  the  young  lady,  putting  her 
fingers  through  my  chestnut  curls. 

"  Yes ;  handsome  boy,"  croaked  the  old  lady. 

"  Papa's  dead." 

"Dead!  I  thought  so,"  observed  Miss  Medea,  winking  at 
her  mother. 

"  Did  you  ever  see  your  papa,  dearest  ? " 

"  Oh  yes ;  he  went  to  sea  about  eighteen  months  ago,  and 
he  was  killed  in  action." 

After  this  came  on  a  series  of  questions  and  cross- 
questions  ;  I  replied  to  her  so  as  to  make  it  appear  that 
Ben  was  my  father,  and  nobody  else,  although  I  had  then 
a  very  different  opinion.  The  fact  was,  I  was  determined 
that  I  would  not  be  pumped,  and  I  puzzled  them,  for  I 
stated  that  my  aunt  Milly  was  married  to  Captain  Bridge- 
man,  of  the  marines ;  and  not  till  then  did  Miss  Medea  ask 
me  what  my  father  was.  My  reply  was,  that  he  had  also 
been  in  the  marines,  and  they  consequently  put  him  down  as 
a  marine  officer,  as  well  as  Captain  Bridgeman. 

This  added  so  much  to  the  respectability  of  my  family, 
that  they  were  quite  mystified,  and  found  that  it  was  not 
quite  so  easy  to  put  that  and  that  together  as  they  had 
thought. 

As  soon  as  they  were  tired  of  questioning,  they  asked  me 
if  I  would  not  like  to  take  another  turn  in  the  garden,  to 
which  I  consented ;  and,  placing  myself  under  the  window 
as  before,  I  heard  Miss  Medea  say  to  her  mother — 

"  Father's  always  finding  out  some  mare's  nest  or  another ; 
and  because  there  is  some  likeness  to  the  captain,  he  has, 
in  his  great  wit,  made  an  important  discovery.  It's  quite 

72 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

evident  that  he's  wrong,  as  he  generally  is.  It's  not  very 
likely  that  Captain  Delmar  should  have  had  an  intrigue  with 
the  wife  of  a  marine  officer,  and  her  sister  married  also  into 
the  corps.  The  widow  has  brought  him  down  herself,  it  is 
true,  but  that  proves  nothing ;  who  else  was  to  bring  him 
down,  if  it  was  not  his  mother  ?  and  the  very  circumstance  of 
her  going  away  so  soon  proves  that  she  felt  it  improper  that 
she  should  remain ;  and,  in  my  opinion,  that  she  is  a  modest, 
interesting  young  woman,  in  whom  Captain  Delmar  has  taken 
an  interest.  I  wish  father  would  not  come  here  with  his 
nonsensical  ideas,  telling  us  to  make  much  of  the  boy." 

"Very  true,  Medea/'  replied  the  mother;  "you  might 
have  saved  that  cake  and  wine." 

Thinks  I  to  myself,  you  have  not  pumped  me,  and  I  never 
felt  more  delighted  than  at  having  outwitted  them.  I  thought 
it,  however,  prudent  to  walk  away  from  the  window. 

Shortly  afterwards,  Mr.  Culpepper  returned,  accompanied 
by  one  of  the  numerous  Portsmouth  fitting-out  tailors.  I  was 
summoned ;  the  tailor  presented  a  list  of  what  he  declared 
to  be  absolutely  necessary  for  the  outfit  of  a  gentleman. 

Mr.  Culpepper  struck  out  two-thirds  of  the  articles,  and 
desired  the  remainder  to  be  ready  on  the  Friday  morning, 
it  being  then  Wednesday.  The  tailor  promised  faithfully, 
and  Mr.  Culpepper  also  promised  most  faithfully,  that  if  the 
articles  were  not  ready  they  would  be  left  on  his  hands. 

As  soon  as  the  tailor  had  gone,  Miss  Medea  asked  me  if  I 
would  not  like  to  take  another  run  in  the  garden.  I  knew 
that  she  wished  to  speak  to  her  father,  and  therefore  had 
a  pleasure  in  disappointing  her.  I  therefore  replied,  that  I 
had  been  there  nearly  the  whole  day,  and  did  not  wish  to 
go  out  any  more. 

"  Never  mind  whether  you  wish  it  or  not ;  I  wish  you  to 
go,"  replied  Miss  Medea  tartly. 

"  Medea,  how  can  you  be  so  rude  ?  "  cried  Mr.  Culpepper  ; 
"surely  Mr.  Keene  may  do  as  he  pleases.  I'm  surprised  at 
you,  Medea." 

"And  I'm  surprised  at  you,  papa,  finding  out  a  mystery 
when  there  is  none,"  replied  Miss  Medea,  very  cross.  "All 
you  said  this  morning,  and  all  your  surmises,  have  turned  out 
to  be  all  moonshine.  Yes,  you  may  look,  papa ;  I  tell  you-^- 
all  moonshine." 

73 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

"  Why,  Medea,  what  nonsense  you  are  talking ! "  replied 
Mr.  Culpepper. 

"Medea's  right,"  croaked  Mrs.  Culpepper;  "all  moon" 
shine." 

"So  you  need  not  be  so  very  particular,  papa,  I  can  tell 
you,"  rejoined  Miss  Medea,  who  then  whispered  in  her 
father's  ear,  loud  enough  for  me  to  hear,  "  No  such  thing, 
nothing  but  a  regular  marine." 

"  Pooh,  nonsense,"  replied  the  purser,  in  a  low  voice  ;  "  the 
boy  has  been  taught  to  say  it — he's  too  clever  for  you, 
Medea." 

At  this  very  true  remark  of  her  father's,  Miss  Medea 
swelled  into  a  towering  passion,  her  whole  face,  neck,  and 
shoulders — for  she  wore  a  low  gown  in  the  morning — turning 
to  a  fiery  scarlet.  I  never  saw  such  a  fury  as  she  appeared 
to  be.  She  rushed  by  me  so  roughly,  that  I  was  thrown 
back  a  couple  of  paces,  and  then  she  bounced  out  of  the 
room. 

"  Medea  knows  how  to  put  that  and  that  together,  Mr. 
Culpepper,"  croaked  out  Mrs.  Culpepper. 

"  Medea's  wise  in  her  own  conceit,  and  you're  a  regular 
old  fool,"  rejoined  Mr.  Culpepper  with  asperity ;  "  one  too 
knowing,  and  the  other  not  half  knowing  enough.  Master 
Keene,  I  hope  you  are  hungry,  for  we  have  a  very  nice 
dinner.  Do  you  like  ducks  and  green  peas  ?  " 

"Yes,  sir,  very  much,"  replied  I. 

"  Were  you  born  at  Chatham,  Master  Keene  ?  " 

"  No,  sir,  I  was  born  at  the  Hall,  near  Southampton.  My 
mother  was  brought  up  by  old  Mrs.  Delmar,  the  captain's 
aunt." 

I  gave  this  intelligence  on  purpose ;  as  I  knew  it  would 
puzzle  Miss  Medea,  who  had  just  returned  from  the  kitchen. 

Mr.  Culpepper  nodded  his  head  triumphantly  to  his 
daughter  and  wife,  who  both  appeared  dumfounded  at  this 
new  light  thrown  upon  the  affair. 

Miss  Medea  paused  a  moment,  and  then  said  to  me — 

"  I  wish  to  ask  you  one  question,  Master  Keene." 

"I  will  not  answer  any  more  of  your  questions,  miss," 
replied  I.  "  You  have  been  questioning  me  all  the  morning, 
and  just  now,  you  were  so  rude  as  nearly  to  push  me  down. 
If  you  want  to  know  anything  more,  ask  Captain  Delmar ; 

74 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

or,  if  you  wish  it,  I  will  ask  Captain  Delmar  whether  I  am  to 
answer  you,  and  if  he  says  I  am,  I  will,  but  not  without." 

This  was  a  decided  blow  on  my  part ;  mother  and  Medea 
both  looked  frightened,  and  Mr.  Culpepper  was  more  alarmed 
than  either  of  the  females.  It  proved  to  them  that  I  knew 
what  they  were  inquiring  for,  which  was  to  them  also  proof 
that  I  also  knew  who  I  was ;  and  further,  my  reference  to 
Captain  Delmar  satisfied  them  that  I  felt  sure  of  his  support, 
and  they  knew  that  he  would  be  very  much  irritated  if  I  told 
him  on  what  score  they  had  been  pumping  me. 

"  You  are  very  right,  Master  Keene,"  said  Mr.  Culpepper, 
turning  very  red,  "  to  refuse  to  answer  any  questions  you 
don't  like;  and,  Medea,  I'm  surprised  at  your  behaviour.  I 
insist  upon  it  you  do  not  annoy  Master  Keene  with  any  more 
of  your  impertinent  curiosity." 

"  No,  no,"  croaked  the  old  lady ;  "  hold  your  tongue, 
Medea,  hold  your  tongue." 

Miss  Medea,  who  looked  as  if  she  could  tear  my  eyes  out 
if  she  dared,  swallowed  down  her  rage  as  well  as  she  could. 
She  was  mortified  at  finding  she  had  made  a  mistake,  annoyed 
at  my  answering  her  so  boldly,  and  frightened  at  her  father's 
anger ;  for  the  old  gentleman  was  very  apt  to  vent  it  in  the 
argumenium  ad  J'ceminam,  and  box  her  ears  soundly. 

Fortunately  dinner  was  served  just  at  this  moment,  and 
this  gave  a  turn  to  the  conversation,  and  also  to  their 
thoughts.  Mr.  Culpepper  was  all  attention,  and  Miss  Medea, 
gradually  recovering  her  temper,  also  became  affable  and 
condescending. 

The  evening  passed  away  very  agreeably ;  but  I  went  to 
bed  early,  as  I  wished  to  be  left  to  my  own  reflections,  and  it 
was  not  till  daylight  that  I  could  compose  my  troubled  mind 
so  as  to  fall  asleep. 


CHAPTER  XV 

ALTHOUGH  the  aversion  which  I  had  taken  to  the  whole 
Culpepper  family  was  so  great  that  I  could  have  done  any- 
thing to  annoy  them,  my  mind  was  now  so  fully  occupied 
with  the  information  which  I  had  collected,  relative  to  my 

75 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

supposed  birth  and  parentage,  that  I  could  not  think  of 
mischief. 

I  walked  on  the  common  or  in  the  little  garden  during  the 
whole  of  the  following  day,  plunged  in  deep  thought,  and  at 
night,  when  I  went  to  bed,  I  remained  awake  till  the  dawn. 
During  these  last  two  days  I  had  thought  and  reflected  more 
than  I  had  perhaps  done  from  the  hour  of  my  birth. 

That  I  was  better  off  than  I  should  have  been  if  I  had 
been  the  son  of  a  private  in  the  marines,  I  felt  convinced ; 
but  still  I  had  a  feeling  that  I  was  in  a  position  in  which  I 
might  be  subjected  to  much  insult,  and  that  unless  I  was 
acknowledged  by  my  aristocratic  parent,  my  connection  with 
his  family  would  be  of  no  use  to  me ; — and  Captain  Delmar, 
how  was  I  to  behave  to  him  ?  I  did  not  like  him  much, 
that  was  certain,  nor  did  this  new  light  which  had  burst 
forth  make  me  feel  any  more  love  for  him  than  I  did  before. 
Still  my  mother's  words  at  Chatham  rung  in  my  ears,  "  Do 
you  know  who  it  is  that  you  have  been  ? "  &c.  I  felt  sure 
that  he  was  my  father,  and  I  felt  a  sort  of  duty  towards  him  ; 
perhaps  an  increase  of  respect. 

These  were  anxious  thoughts  for  a  boy  not  fourteen ;  and 
the  Culpeppers  remarked,  that  I  had  not  only  looked  very  pale, 
but  had  actually  grown  thin  in  the  face  during  my  short  stay. 

As  I  was  very  quiet  and  reserved  after  the  first  day,  they 
were  very  glad  when  my  clothes  were  brought  home,  and  I 
was  reported  ready  to  embark ;  so  was  I,  for  I  wanted  to  go 
on  board  and  see  my  friend  Tommy  Dott,  with  whom  I 
intended,  if  the  subject  was  brought  up,  to  consult  as  to  my 
proceedings,  or  perhaps  I  thought  it  would  be  better  to  con- 
sult Bob  Cross,  the  captain's  coxswain ;  I  was  not  sure  that 
I  should  not  advise  with  them  both. 

I  had  made  up  my  mind  how  to  behave  to  my  mother.  I 
knew  that  she  would  never  acknowledge  the  truth,  after  what 
had  passed  between  the  captain  and  her  when  I  was  present ; 
but  I  was  resolved  that  I  would  let  her  know  that  I  was  in 
the  secret ;  and  I  thought  that  the  reply  to  me  would  be  a 
guide  as  to  the  correctness  of  the  fact,  which,  with  all  the 
hastiness  of  boyhood,  I  considered  as  incontrovertible,  al- 
though I  had  not  the  least  positive  proof. 

The  day  that  I  was  to  go  on  board  I  requested  Miss 
Culpepper  to  give  me  a  sheet  of  paper,  that  I  might  write  to 

76 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

my  mother.  She  supplied  me  very  readily,  saying,  "  You  had 
better  let  me  see  if  you  make  any  mistake  in  your  spelling 
before  your  letter  goes ;  your  mamma  will  be  so  pleased  if 
you  write  your  letter  properly."  She  then  went  down  into 
the  kitchen  to  give  some  orders. 

As  I  had  not  the  slightest  intention  that  she  should  read  what 
I  wrote,  and  resolved  to  have  it  in  the  post  before  she  came  up 
again,  I  was  very  concise  in  my  epistle,  which  was  as  follows : — 

"  DEAR  MOTHER, — I  have  found  it  all  out — I  am  the  son  of 
Captain  Delmar,  and  every  one  here  knows  what  you  have 
kept  a  secret  from  me.  I  go  on  board  to-day. — Yours  truly, 

«  P.  KEENE."  ' 

This  was  very  short,  and,  it  must  be  admitted,  direct  to 
the  point ;  I  could  not,  perhaps,  have  written  one  which  was 
so  calculated  to  give  my  mother  uneasiness. 

As  soon  as  it  was  finished,  I  folded  it  up,  and  lighted  a 
taper  to  seal  it.  Old  Mrs.  Culpepper,  who  was  in  the  room, 
croaked  out,  "  No,  no  ;  you  must  show  it  to  Medea."  But  I 
paid  no  attention  to  her,  and  having  sealed  my  letter,  put  on 
my  hat,  and  walked  out  to  the  post-office.  I  dropped  it  into 
the  box,  and  on  returning,  found  Mr.  Culpepper  coming  home, 
accompanied  by  Bob  Cross,  the  captain's  coxswain,  and  two  of 
the  boat's  crew. 

As  I  presumed,  they  were  sent  for  me  ;  I  joined  them  im- 
mediately, and  was  kindly  greeted  by  Bob  Cross,  who  said — 

"  Well,  Mr.  Keene,  are  you  all  ready  for  shipping  ?  We've 
come  for  your  traps." 

"  All  ready,"  replied  I,  "  and  very  glad  to  go,  for  I'm  tired 
of  staying  on  shore  doing  nothing." 

We  were  very  soon  at  the  house.  The  seamen  carried 
away  my  chest  and  bedding,  while  Bob  Cross  remained  a 
little  while,  that  I  might  pay  my  farewell  to  the  ladies. 

The  ceremony  was  not  attended  with  much  regret  on  either 
side.  Miss  Culpepper  could  not  help  asking  me  why  I  did 
not  show  her  my  letter,  and  I  replied,  that  there  were  secrets 
in  it,  which  answer  did  not  at  all  add  to  her  good  temper  ; 
our  adieus  were,  therefore,  anything  but  affectionate,  and 
before  the  men  with  my  effects  were  a  hundred  yards  in 
advance,  Bob  Cross  and  I  were  at  their  heels. 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

"  Well,  Master  Keene,"  said  Bob,  as  we  wended  our  way 
across  Southsea  Common,  "how  do  you  like  the  purser's 
ladies  ?  " 

"  Not  at  all,"  replied  I ;  "  they  have  done  nothing  but  try 
to  pump  me  the  whole  time  I  have  been  there ;  but  they  did 
not  make  much  of  it." 

"Women  will  be  curious,  Master  Keene — pray  what  did 
they  try  to  pump  about  ?  " 

I  hardly  knew  how  to  reply,  and  I  hesitated.  I  felt  a 
strong  inclination  towards  Bob  Cross,  and  I  had  before 
reflected  whether  I  should  not  make  him  my  confidant ;  still 
I  was  undecided  and  made  no  reply,  when  Bob  Cross 
answered  for  me — 

"Look  ye,  child — for  although  you're  going  on  the  quarter- 
deck, and  I  am  before  the  mast,  you  are  a  child  compared  to 
me — I  can  tell  you  what  they  tried  to  pump  about,  as  well  as 
you  can  tell  me,  if  you  choose.  According  to  my  thinking, 
there's  no  lad  on  board  the  frigate  that  will  require  good 
advice  as  you  will ;  and  J  tell  you  candidly,  you  will  have 
your  cards  to  play.  Bob  Cross  is  no  fool,  and  can  see  as  far 
through  a  fog  as  most  chaps ;  I  like  you  for  yourself  as  far  as 
I  see  of  you,  and  I  have  not  forgotten  your  mother's  kind- 
ness to  me,  when  she  had  her  own  misery  to  occupy  her 
thoughts  ;  not  that  I  wanted  the  money — it  wasn't  the  money, 
but  the  way  and  circumstances  under  which  it  was  given.  I 
told  her  I'd  look  after  you  a  bit — a  bit  means  a  great  deal 
with  me — and  so  I  will,  if  you  choose  that  I  shall ;  if  not,  I 
shall  touch  my  hat  to  you  as  my  officer,  which  won't  help  you 
much.  So,  now  you  have  to  settle,  my  lad,  whether  you  will 
have  me  as  your  friend,  or  not." 

The  appeal  quite  decided  me.  "  Bob  Cross,"  replied  I,  "  I 
do  wish  to  make  you  my  friend ;  I  thought  of  it  before,  but  I 
did  not  know  whether  to  go  to  you  or  to  Tommy  Dott." 

"  Tommy  Dott!  Well,  Master  Keene,  that's  not  very  flatter- 
ing, to  put  me  in  one  scale,  and  Tommy  Dott  in  the  other ; 
I'm  not  surprised  at  its  weighing  down  in  my  favour.  If  you 
wish  to  get  into  mischief,  you  can't  apply  to  a  better  hand 
than  Tommy  Dott ;  but  Tommy  Dott  is  not  half  so  fit  to 
advise  you,  as  you  are,  I  expect,  to  advise  him  ;  so  make  him 
your  playmate  and  companion,  if  you  please,  but  as  to  his 
advice,  it's  not  worth  asking.  However,  as  you  have  given 

78 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

me  the  preference,  I  will  now  tell  you  that  the  Culpepper 
people  have  been  trying  to  find  out  who  is  your  father.  Ain't 
I  right  ?  " 

"  Yes,  you  are,"  replied  I. 

"  Well  then,  this  is  no  time  to  talk  about  such  things ;  we 
shall  be  down  to  the  boat  in  another  minute,  so  we'll  say  no 
more  at  present ;  only  recollect,  when  you  are  on  board,  if 
they  talk  about  appointing  a  man  to  take  charge  of  your 
hammock,  say  that  Bob  Cross,  the  captain's  coxswain,  is,  you 
understand,  to  be  the  person ;  say  that,  and  no  more.  I  will 
tell  you  why  by-and-by,  when  we  have  time  to  talk  together ; 
and  if  any  of  your  messmates  say  anything  to  you  on  the  same 
point  which  the  Culpeppei-s  have  been  working  at,  make  no 
reply,  and  hold  yourself  very  stiff.  Now,  here  we  are  at  the 
sally-port,  so  there's  an  end  to  our  palaver  for  the  present."  ' 

My  chest  and  bedding  were  already  in  the  boat,  and  as 
soon  as  Cross  and  I  had  stepped  in,  he  ordered  the  bowman 
to  shove  off;  in  half-an-hour we  arrived  alongside  the  frigate, 
which  lay  at  Spithead,  bright  with  new  paint,  and  with  her 
pennant  proudly  flying  to  the  breeze. 

"You'd  better  follow  me,  sir,  and  mind  you  touch  your 
hat  when  the  officers  speak  to  you,"  said  Bob  Cross,  ascend- 
ing the  accommodation  ladder.  I  did  so,  and  found  myself 
on  the  quarter-deck,  in  the  presence  of  the  first  lieutenant 
and  several  of  the  officers. 

"Well,  Cross,"  said  the  first  lieutenant. 

"  I've  brought  a  young  gentleman  on  board  to  join  the  ship. 
Captain  Delmar  has,  I  believe,  given  his  orders  about  him." 

"  Mr.  Keene,  I  presume  ?  "  said  the  first  lieutenant,  eyeing 
me  from  head  to  foot. 

"  Yes,  sir,"  replied  I,  touching  my  hat. 

"  How  long  have  you  been  at  Portsmouth  ?  " 

"  Three  clays,  sir  ;  I  have  been  staying  at  Mr.  Culpepper's." 

"Well,  did  you  fall  in  love  with  Miss  Culpepper?" 

"No,  sir,"  replied  I  ;  "I  hate  her." 

At  this  answer  the  first  lieutenant  and  the  officers  near 
him  burst  out  a-laughing. 

"Well,  youngster,  you  must  dine  with  us  in  the  gun-room 
to-day  ;  and  where's  Mr.  Dott  ?  " 

"  Here,  sir,"  said  Tommy  Dott,  coming  from  the  other  side 
of  the  quarter-deck. 

79 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

"Mr.  Dott,  take  this  young  gentleman  down  below,  and 
show  him  the  midshipmen's  berth.  Let  me  see,  who  is  to 
take  care  of  his  hammock  ?  " 

"  I  believe  that  Bob  Cross  is  to  take  care  of  it,  sir,"  said  I. 

"The  captain's  coxswain — humph!  Well,  that's  settled, 
at  all  events;  very  good — we  shall  have  the  pleasure  of  your 
company  to  dinner,  Mr.  Keene.  Why,  Mr.  Dott  and  you  look 
as  if  you  knew  each  other." 

"  Don't  we,  Tommy  ?  "  said  I  to  the  midshipman,  grinning. 

"  I  suspect  that  there  is  a  pair  of  you,"  said  the  first  lieu- 
tenant, turning  aft  and  walking  away ;  after  which  Tommy 
and  I  went  down  the  companion  ladder  as  fast  as  we  could, 
and  in  a  few  seconds  afterwards  were  sitting  together  on  the 
same  chest,  in  most  intimate  conversation. 

My  extreme  resemblance  to  our  honourable  captain  was 
not  unobserved  by  the  officers  who  were  on  the  quarter-deck 
at  the  time  of  my  making  my  appearance ;  and,  as  I  after- 
wards heard  from  Bob  Cross,  he  was  sent  for  by  the  surgeon, 
on  some  pretence  or  another,  to  obtain  any  information 
relative  to  me.  What  were  Bob  Cross's  reasons  for  answering 
as  he  did  I  could  not  at  that  time  comprehend,  but  he 
explained  them  to  me  afterwards. 

"Who  brought  him  down,  Cross?"  said  the  surgeon  care- 
lessly. 

"  His  own  mother,  sir ;  he  has  no  father,  sir,  I  hear." 

"  Did  you  see  her  P     What  sort  of  a  person  was  she  ?  " 

"  Well,  sir,"  replied  Bob  Cross,  "  I've  seen  many  ladies  of 
quality,  but  such  a  real  lady  I  don't  think  I  ever  set  my  eyes 
upon  before  ;  and  such  a  beauty — I'd  marry  to-morrow  if  I 
could  take  in  tow  a  craft  like  her." 

"  How  did  they  come  down  to  Portsmouth  ?  " 

"  Why,  sir,  she  came  down  to  Portsmouth  in  a  coach  and 
four;  but  she  walked  to  the  George  Hotel,  as  if  she  was 
nobody." 

This  was  not  a  fib  on  the  part  of  the  coxswain,  for  we 
came  down  by  the  Portsmouth  coach ;  it  did,  however,  de- 
ceive the  surgeon,  as  was  intended. 

"  Did  you  see  anything  of  her,  Cross  ?  " 

"  Not  when  she  was  with  the  captain,  sir,  but  at  her  own 
lodgings  I  did ;  such  a  generous  lady  I  never  met  with." 

A  few  more  questions  were  put,  all  of  which  were  replied 

80 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

to  in  much  the  same  strain  by  the  coxswain,  so  as  to  make 
out  my  mother  to  be  a  very  important  and  mysterious  person- 
age. It  is  true  that  Tommy  Dott  could  have  contradicted 
all  this ;  but,  in  the  first  place,  it  was  not  very  likely  that 
there  would  be  any  communication  upon  the  point  between 
him  and  the  officers ;  and,  in  the  next,  I  cautioned  him  to 
say  nothing  about  what  he  knew,  which,  as  he  was  strongly 
attached  to  me,  he  strictly  complied  with :  so  Bob  Cross 
completely  mystified  the  surgeon,  who,  of  course,  made  his 
report  to  his  messmates. 

Mr.  Culpepper's  report  certainly  differed  somewhat  from 
that  of  Bob  Cross.  There  was  my  statement  of  my  aunt 
being  married  to  a  marine  officer — but  it  was  my  statement ; 
there  was  also  my  statement  of  my  mother  residing  with 
Captain  Delmar's  aunt.  Altogether  there  was  doubt  and 
mystery ;  and  it  ended  in  my  mother  being  supposed  to  be 
a  much  greater  person  than  she  really  was — everything  tend- 
ing to  prove  her  a  lady  of  rank  being  willingly  received,  and 
all  counter-statements  looked  upon  as  apocryphal  and  false. 

But  whoever  my  mother  might  be,  on  one  point  every  one 
agreed,  which  was,  that  I  was  the  son  of  the  Honourable 
Captain  Delmar,  and  on  this  point  I  was  equally  convinced 
myself.  I  waited  with  some  anxiety  for  my  mother's  reply 
to  my  letter,  which  arrived  two  days  after  I  had  joined  the 
frigate.  It  was  as  follows  : — 

"MV  DEAR  PERCIVAL, — You  little  know  the  pain  and 
astonishment  which  I  felt  upon  the  receipt  of  your  very  un- 
kind and  insulting  letter  ;  surely  you  could  not  have  reflected 
at  the  time  you  wrote  it,  but  must  have  penned  it  in  a 
moment  of  irritation  arising  from  some  ungenerous  remark 
which  has  been  made  in  your  hearing. 

"Alas,  my  dear  child,  you  will  find,  now  that  you  have 
commenced  your  career  in  life,  that  there  are  too  many 
whose  only  pleasure  is  to  inflict  pain  upon  their  fellow- 
creatures.  I  only  can  imagine  that  some  remark  has  been 
made  in  your  presence,  arising  from  there  being  a  similarity 
of  features  between  you  and  the  Honourable  Captain  Delmar : 
that  there  is  so  has  been  before  observed  by  others.  Indeed, 
your  uncle  and  aunt  Bridgeman  were  both  struck  with  the 
resemblance  when  Captain  Delmar  arrived  at  Chatham ;  but 

81  F 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

this  proves  nothing,  my  dear  child :  people  are  very  often 
alike,  who  have  never  seen  each  other,  or  heard  each  other 
mentioned  till  they  have  by  accident  been  thrown  together 
so  as  to  be  compared. 

"  It  may  certainly  be,  as  your  father  was  in  the  service  of 
Captain  Delmar,  and  constantly  attended  upon  him,  and 
indeed,  I  may  add,  as  I  was  occasionally  seeing  him,  that  the 
impression  of  his  countenance  might  be  constantly  in  our 

memory,  and but  you  don't  understand  such  questions, 

and  therefore  I  will  say  no  more,  except  that  you  will  im- 
mediately dismiss  from  your  thoughts  any  such  idea. 

"  You  forget,  my  dearest  boy,  that  you  are  insulting  me  by 
supposing  any  such  thing,  and  that  your  mother's  honour  is 
called  in  question :  I  am  sure  you  never  thought  of  that 
when  you  wrote  those  hasty  and  inconsiderate  lines.  I  must 
add,  my  dear  boy,  that  knowing  Captain  Delmar,  and  how 
proud  and  sensitive  he  is,  if  it  should  ever  come  to  his  know- 
ledge that  you  had  suspected  or  asserted  what  you  have,  his 
favour  and  protection  would  be  lost  to  you  for  ever.  At 
present  he  is  doing  a  kind  and  charitable  action  in  bringing 
forward  the  son  of  a  faithful  servant ;  but  if  he  imagined  for 
a  moment  that  you  were  considered  related  to  him,  he  would 
cast  you  off  for  ever,  and  all  your  prospects  in  life  would  be 
ruined. 

"  Even  allowing  it  possible  that  you  were  what  you  so 
madly  stated  yourself  in  your  letter  to  be,  I  am  convinced 
he  would  do  so.  If  such  a  report  came  to  his  ears,  he  would 
immediately  disavow  you,  and  leave  you  to  find  your  own 
way  in  the  world. 

"  You  see,  therefore,  my  dear  boy,  how  injurious  to  you 
in  every  way  such  a  ridiculous  surmise  must  prove,  and  I 
trust  that,  not  only  for  your  own  sake,  but  for  your  mother's 
character,  you  will,  so  far  from  giving  credence,  indignantly 
disavow  what  must  be  a  source  of  mischief  and  annoyance 
to  all  parties. 

"  Captain  Bridgeman  desires  me  to  say,  that  he  is  of  my 
opinion,  so  is  your  aunt  Milly ;  as  for  your  grandmother,  of 
course  I  dare  not  show  her  your  letter.  Write  to  me,  my 
dear  boy,  and  tell  me  how  this  unfortunate  mistake  happened, 
and  believe  me  to  be  your  affectionate  mother, 

"ARABELLA  KEENE." 
82 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

I  read  this  letter  over  ten  times  before  I  came  to  any  con- 
clusion ;  at  last  I  said  to  myself,  there  is  not  in  any  one  part 
of  it  any  positive  denial  of  the  fact,  and  resolved  some  future 
day,  when  I  had  had  some  conversation  with  Bob  Cross,  to 
show  it  to  him  and  ask  his  opinion. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

_L  HE  next  morning,  at  daylight,  the  blue  Peter  was  hoisted 
at  the  foremast,  and  the  gun  fired  as  a  signal  for  sailing ;  all 
was  bustle — hoisting  in,  clearing  boats  of  stock,  and  clearing 
the  ship  of  women  and  strangers. 

At  ten  o'clock  Captain  Delmar  made  his  appearance,  the 
hands  were  piped  up  anchor,  and  in  half-an-hour  we  were 
standing  out  for  St.  Helen's.  Before  night  it  blew  very 
fresh,  and  we  went  rolling  down  the  Channel  before  an 
easterly  wind.  I  went  to  my  hammock  very  sick,  and  did 
not  recover  for  several  days,  during  which  nobody  asked  for 
me,  or  any  questions  about  me,  except  Bob  Cross  and 
Tommy  Dott. 

As  soon  as  I  was  well  enough,  I  made  my  appearance  on 
deck,  and  was  ordered  by  the  first  lieutenant  to  do  my  duty 
under  the  signal  midshipman :  this  was  day  duty,  and  not 
very  irksome.  I  learnt  the  flags,  and  how  to  use  a  spy-glass. 

We  were  charged  with  despatches  for  the  fleet  then  off 
Cadiz,  and  on  the  tenth  day  we  fell  in  with  it,  remained  a 
week  in  company,  and  then  were  ordered  to  Gibraltar  and 
Malta.  From  Malta  we  went  home  again  with  despatches, 
having  been  out  three  months. 

During  this  short  and  pleasant  run,  I  certainly  did  not 
learn  much  of  my  profession,  but  I  did  learn  a  little  of  the 
ways  of  the  world.  First,  as  to  Captain  Delmar,  his  conduct 
to  me  was  anything  but  satisfactory ;  he  never  inquired  for 
me  during  the  time  that  I  was  unwell,  and  took  no  notice  of 
me  on  my  reappearance. 

The  officers  and  young  gentlemen,  as  midshipmen  are 
called,  were  asked  to  dine  in  the  cabin  in  rotation,  and  I  did 
in  consequence  dine  two  or  three  times  in  the  cabin ;  but  it 

83 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

appeared  to  me  as  if  the  captain  purposely  took  no  notice  of 
me,  although  he  generally  did  say  a  word  or  two  to  the 
others;  moreover,  as  the  signal  mids  were  up  in  the  morn- 
ing watch,  he  would  occasionally  send  to  invite  one  of  the 
others  to  breakfast  with  him,  but  he  never  paid  me  that 
compliment. 

This  annoyed  me,  and  I  spoke  of  it  to  Bob  Cross,  with 
whom  I  had  had  some  long  conversations.  I  had  told  him 
all  I  knew  relative  to  myself,  what  my  suspicions  were,  and 
I  had  shown  him  my  mother's  reply.  His  opinion  on  the 
subject  may  be  given  in  what  follows : — 

"  You  see,  Master  Keene,  you  are  in  an  awkward  position  ; 
the  captain  is  a  very  proud  man,  and  too  proud  to  acknow- 
ledge that  you  are  any  way  related  to  him.  It's  my  opinion, 
from  what  you  have  told  me,  and  from  other  reasons,  particu- 
larly from  your  likeness  to  the  captain,  that  your  suspicions 
are  correct ;  but,  what  then  ?  Your  mother  is  sworn  to 
secrecy — that's  clear ;  and  the  captain  won't  own  you — that's 
also  very  clear.  I  had  some  talk  with  the  captain's  steward 
on  the  subject  when  I  was  taking  a  glass  of  grog  with  him 
the  other  night  in  his  berth.  It  was  he  that  brought  up  the 
subject,  not  me,  and  he  said  that  the  captain  not  asking  you 
to  breakfast,  and  avoiding  you,  as  it  were,  was  another  proof 
that  you  belonged  to  him  ;  and  the  wishing  to  hide  the  secret 
only  makes  him  behave  as  he  does.  You  have  a  difficult 
game  to  play,  Master  Keene ;  but  you  are  a  clever  lad,  and 
you  ask  advice — mind  you  follow  it,  or  it's  little  use  asking 
it.  You  must  always  be  very  respectful  to  Captain  Delmar, 
and  keep  yourself  at  as  great  a  distance  from  him  as  he  does 
from  you." 

"  That  I  am  sure  I  will,"  replied  I,  "  for  I  dislike  him  very 
much." 

"  No,  you  must  not  do  that,  but  you  must  bend  to  circum- 
stances ;  by-and-by  things  will  go  on  better.  But  mind  you 
keep  on  good  terms  with  the  officers,  and  never  be  saucy,  or 
they  may  say  to  you  what  may  not  be  pleasant;  recollect 
this,  and  things  will  go  on  better,  as  I  said  before.  If  Captain 
Delmar  protects  you  with  his  interest,  you  will  be  a  captain 
over  the  heads  of  many  who  are  now  your  superiors  on  board 
of  this  frigate.  One  thing  be  careful  of,  which  is,  to  keep 
your  own  counsel,  and  don't  be  persuaded  in  a  moment  of 

84 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

confidence  to  trust  anything  to  Tommy  Dott  or  any  other 
midshipman ;  and  if  any  one  hints  at  what  you  suppose,  deny 
it  immediately ;  nay,  if  necessary,  fight  for  it — that  will  be 
the  way  to  please  the  captain,  for  you  will  be  of  his  side  then, 
and  not  against  him." 

That  this  advice  of  Bob  Cross  was  the  best  that  could  be 
given  to  one  in  my  position  there  could  not  be  a  doubt ;  and 
that  I  did  resolve  to  follow  it,  is  most  certain.  I  generally 
passed  away  a  portion  of  my  leisure  hours  in  Bob's  company, 
and  became  warmly  attached  to  him  ;  and  certainly  my  time 
was  not  thrown  away,  for  I  learnt  a  great  deal  from  him. 

One  evening  as  I  was  leaning  against  one  of  the  guns  on 
the  main-deck,  waiting  for  Cross  to  come  out  of  the  cabin, 
I  was  amused  with  the  following  conversation  between  a 
boatswain's  mate  and  a  fore-top  man.  I  shall  give  it  ver- 
batim. They  were  talking  of  one  that  was  dead ;  and  after 
the  boatswain's  mate  had  said — 

"Well,  he's  in  heaven,  poor  fellow." 

After  a  pause,  the  fore-top  man  said — 

"I  wonder,  Bill,  whether  I  shall  ever  go  to  heaven?" 

"  Why  not  ?  "  replied  the  boatswain's  mate. 

"  Why,  the  parson  says  it's  good  works ;  now,  I  certainly 
have  been  a  pretty  many  times  in  action,  and  I  have  killed 
plenty  of  Frenchmen  in  my  time." 

"  Well,  that's  sufficient,  I  should  think ;  I  hold  my  hopes 
upon  just  the  same  claims.  I've  cut  down  fifty  Frenchmen 
in  my  life,  and  if  that  ain't  good  works,  I  don't  know 
what  is. 

"  I  suppose  Nelson's  in  heaven  ?  " 

"  Of  course ;  if  so  be  he  wishes  to  be  there,  I  should  like 
to  know  who  would  keep  him  out,  if  he  was  determined  on 
it — no,  no ;  depend  upon  it  he  walked  slap  in." 

On  our  return  to  Portsmouth  the  captain  went  up  to  the 
Admiralty  with  the  despatches,  the  frigate  remaining  at 
Spithead,  ready  to  sail  at  a  moment's  notice. 

I  was  now  quite  accustomed  to  the  ship  and  officers ;  the 
conviction  I  had  of  my  peculiar  position,  together  with  the 
advice  of  Bob  Cross,  had  very  much  subdued  my  spirits  ; 
perhaps  the  respect  created  by  discipline,  and  the  example 
of  others,  which  produced  in  me  a  degree  of  awe  of  the 
captain  and  the  lieutenants,  assisted  a  little — certain  it  is, 

85 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

that  I  gained  the  good-will  of  my  messmates,  and  had  not 
been  in  any  scrape  during  the  whole  cruise. 

The  first  lieutenant  was  a  stern,  but  not  unkind  man ;  he 
would  blow  you  up,  as  we  termed  it,  when  he  scolded  for  half- 
an-hour  without  ceasing.  I  never  knew  a  man  with  such  a 
flow  of  words  ;  but  if  permitted  to  go  on  without  interruption, 
he  was  content  without  proceeding  to  further  punishment. 
Any  want  of  respect,  however,  was  peculiarly  offensive  to 
him,  and  any  attempt  to  excuse  yourself  was  immediately  cut 
short  with,  "  No  reply,  sir." 

The  second  day  after  our  return  to  Spithead,  I  was  sent 
on  shore  in  the  cutter  to  bring  off  a  youngster  who  was  to 
join  the  ship.  He  had  never  been  to  sea  before ;  his  name 
was  Green,  and  he  was  as  green  as  a  gooseberry.  I  took  a 
dislike  to  him  the  moment  that  I  saw  him,  because  he  had  a 
hooked  nose  and  very  small  ferrety  eyes.  As  we  were  pull- 
ing on  board,  he  asked  me  a  great  many  questions  of  all 
kinds,  particularly  about  the  captain  and  officers ;  and  to 
amuse  myself  and  the  boat's  crew,  who  were  on  the  full 
titter,  I  exercised  my  peculiar  genius  for  invention. 

At  last,  after  I  had  given  a  character  of  the  first  lieutenant 
which  made  him  appear  a  sort  of  marine  ogre,  he  asked  how 
it  was  I  got  on  with  him. 

"Oh,  very  well,"  replied  I ;  "but  I'm  a  freemason,  and  so 
is  he,  arid  he's  never  severe  with  a  brother  mason." 

"  But  how  did  he  know  you  were  a  mason  ?  " 

"  I  made  the  sign  to  him  the  very  first  time  that  he 
began  to  scold  me,  and  he  left  off  almost  immediately — that 
is,  when  I  made  the  second  sign ;  he  did  not  when  I  made 
the  first." 

"  I  should  like  to  know  these  signs.  Won't  you  tell  them 
to  me  ?  " 

"  Tell  them  to  you  !  oh  no,  that  won't  do,"  replied  I.  "  I 
don't  know  you.  Here  we  are  on  board — in  bow, — rowed  of 
all  men.  Now,  Mr.  Green,  I'll  show  you  the  way  up." 

Mr.  Green  was  presented,  and  ushered  into  the  service 
much  in  the  same  way  as  I  was.  But  he  had  not  forgotten 
what  I  said  to  him  relative  to  the  first  lieutenant ;  and  it  so 
happened  that,  on  the  third  day,  he  witnessed  a  jobation, 
delivered  by  the  first  lieutenant  to  one  of  the  midshipmen, 
who,  venturing  to  reply,  was  ordered  to  the  mast-head  for  the 

86 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

remainder  of  the  day  ;  added  to  which,  a  few  minutes  after- 
wards, the  first  lieutenant  ordered  two  men  to  be  put  both 
legs  in  irons.  Mr.  Green  trembled  as  he  saw  the  men  led 
away  by  the  master-at-arms,  and  he  came  to  me. 

"  I  do  wish,  Keene,  you  would  tell  me  those  signs,"  said 
he ;  "  can't  you  be  persuaded  to  part  with  them  ?  I'll  give 
you  anything  that  I  have  which  you  may  like." 

"  Well,"  said  I,  "  I  should  like  to  have  that  long  spy-glass 
of  yours,  for  it's  a  very  good  one,  and,  as  signal-midshipman, 
it  will  be  useful  to  me." 

"I  will  give  it  you  with  all  my  heart/'  replied  he,  "if  you 
will  tell  me  the  signs." 

"Well,  then,  come  down  below,  give  me  the  glass,  and  I 
will  tell  them  to  you." 

Mr.  Green  and  I  went  down  to  the  berth,  and  I  received 
the  spy-glass  as  a  present  in  due  form.  I  then  led  him  to 
my  chest  in  the  steerage,  and  in  a  low,  confidential  tone,  told 
him  as  follows  : — 

"You  see,  Green,  you  must  be  very  particular  about 
making  those  signs,  for  if  you  make  a  mistake  you  will  be 
worse  off  than  if  you  never  made  them  at  all,  for  the  first 
lieutenant  will  suppose  that  you  are  trying  to  persuade  him 
that  you  are  a  mason  when  you  are  not.  Now,  gbserve, 
you  must  not  attempt  to  make  the  first  sign  until  he  has 
scolded  you  well ;  then,  at  any  pause,  you  must  make  it. 
Thus,  you  see,  you  must  put  your  thumb  to  the  tip  of  your 
nose,  and  extend  your  hand  straight  out  from  it,  with  all  the 
fingers  separated  as  wide  as  you  can.  Now,  do  it  as  I  did  it. 
Stop — wait  a  little,  till  that  marine  passes.  Yes,  that  is  it. 
Well,  that  is  considered  the  first  proof  of  your  being  a  mason  ; 
but  it  requires  a  second.  The  first  lieutenant  will,  I  tell  you 
frankly,  be,  or  rather  pretend  to  be,  in  a  terrible  rage,  and 
will  continue  to  rail  at  you.  You  must,  therefore,  wait  a  little 
till  he  pauses ;  and  then,  you  observe,  put  up  your  thumb  to 
your  nose,  with  the  fingers  of  your  hand  spread  out  as 
before,  and  then  add  to  it  your  other  hand,  by  joining  your 
other  thumb  to  the  little  finger  of  the  hand  already  up,  and 
stretch  your  other  hand  and  fingers  out  like  the  first.  Then 
you  will  see  the  effects  of  the  second  sign.  Do  you  think 
you  can  recollect  all  this?  for,  as  I  said  before,  you  must 
make  no  mistake." 

87 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

Green  put  his  hands  up  as  I  told  him,  and  after  three  or 
four  essays  declared  himself  perfect,  and  I  left  him. 

It  was  about  three  days  afterwards  that  Mr.  Green  upset 
a  kid  of  dirty  water  upon  the  lower  deck,  which  had  been 
dry  holystoned,  and  the  mate  of  the  lower  deck,  when  the 
first  lieutenant  went  his  round,  reported  the  circumstance  to 
exculpate  himself.  Mr.  Green  was  consequently  summoned  on 
the  quarter-deck,  and  the  first  lieutenant,  who  was  very  angry, 
commenced,  as  usual,  a  volley  of  abuse  on  the  unfortunate 
youngster. 

Green,  recollecting  my  instructions,  waited  till  the  first 
lieutenant  had  paused,  and  then  made  the  first  freemason 
sign,  looking  up  very  boldly  at  the  first  lieutenant,  who 
actually  drew  back  with  astonishment  at  this  contemptuous 
conduct,  hitherto  unwitnessed  on  board  of  a  man-of-war. 

"What!  sir,"  cried  the  first  lieutenant.  "Why,  sir,  are 
you  mad  ? — you,  just  come  into  the  service,  treating  me  in 
this  manner !  I  can  tell  you,  sir,  that  you  will  not  be  three 
days  longer  in  the  service — no,  sir,  not  three  days  ;  for  either 
you  leave  the  service  or  I  do.  Of  all  the  impudence,  of  all 
the  insolence,  of  all  the  contempt  I  have  heard  of,  this  beats 
all — and  from  such  a  little  animal  as  you.  Consider  yourself 
as  under  an  arrest,  sir,  till  the  captain  comes  on  board,  and 
your  conduct  is  reported ;  go  down  below,  sir,  immediately." 

The  lieutenant  paused,  and  now  Green  gave  him  sign  the 
second  as  a  reply,  thinking  that  they  would  then  come  to  a 
right  understanding ;  but,  to  his  astonishment,  the  first  lieu- 
tenant was  more  furious  than  ever,  and  calling  the  sergeant 
of  marines,  ordered  him  to  take  Mr.  Green  down,  and  put 
him  in  irons,  under  the  half-deck. 

Poor  Green  was  handed  down,  all  astonishment  at  the  want 
of  success  of  his  mason's  signs.  I,  who  stood  abaft,  was 
delighted  at  the  success  of  my  joke,  while  the  first  lieutenant 
walked  hastily  up  and  down  the  deck,  as  much  astonished  as 
enraged  at  such  insulting  and  insolent  conduct  from  a  lad 
who  had  not  been  a  week  in  the  service. 

After  a  time  the  first  lieutenant  went  down  below,  when 
Bob  Cross,  who  was  on  deck,  and  who  had  perceived  my 
delight  at  the  scene,  which  was  to  him  and  all  others  so 
inexplicable,  came  up  to  me  and  said — 

"  Master  Keene,  I'm  sure,  by  your  looks,  you  know  some- 

88 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

thing  about  this.  That  foolish  lad  never  had  dared  do  so, 
if  he  knew  what  it  was  he  had  done.  Now,  don't  look  so 
demure,  but  tell  me  how  it  is." 

I  walked  aft  with  Bob  Cross,  and  confided  my  secret  to 
him.  He  laughed  heartily,  and  said — 

"  Well,  Tommy  Dott  did  say  that  you  were  up  to  anything, 
and  so  I  think  you  are ;  but  you  see  this  is  a  very  serious 
affair  for  poor  Green,  and,  like  the  fable  of  the  frogs,  what  is 
sport  to  you  is  death  to  others.  The  poor  lad  will  be  turned 
out  of  the  service,  and  lose  his  chance  of  being  a  post-captain; 
so  you  must  allow  me  to  explain  the  matter  so  that  it  gets  to 
the  ears  of  the  first  lieutenant  as  soon  as  possible." 

"  Well,"  replied  I,  "  do  as  you  like,  Bob ;  if  any  one's  to 
be  turned  out  of  the  service  for  such  nonsense,  it  ought  to 
be  me,  and  not  Green,  poor  snob." 

"  No  fear  of  your  being  turned  out ;  the  first  lieutenant 
won't  like  you  the  worse,  and  the  other  officers  will  like  you 
better,  especially  as  I  shall  say  that  it  is  by  your  wish  that 
I  explain  all,  to  get  Mr.  Green  out  of  the  scrape.  I'll  to  the 
surgeon  and  tell  him.  But,  Master  Keene,  don't  you  call 
such  matters  nonsense,  or  you'll  find  yourself  mistaken  one 
of  these  days.  I  never  saw  such  disrespect  on  a  quarter- 
deck in  all  my  life — worse  than  mutiny  a  thousand  times." 
Here  Bob  Cross  burst  out  into  a  fit  of  laughter  as  he  re- 
called Green's  extended  fingers  to  his  memory,  and  then 
he  turned  away  and  went  down  below  to  speak  to  the 
surgeon. 

As  soon  as  Cross  had  quitted  the  deck,  I  could  not  restrain 
my  curiosity  as  to  the  situation  of  my  friend  Green ;  I  there- 
fore went  down  the  ladder  to  the  half-deck,  and  there,  on 
the  starboard  side,  between  the  guns,  I  perceived  the  poor 
fellow,  with  his  legs  in  irons,  his  hands  firmly  clasped  to- 
gether, looking  so  woeful  and  woe-begone,  every  now  and 
then  raising  his  eyes  up  to  the  beams  of  the  upper  deck  as 
if  he  would  appeal  to  Heaven,  that  I  scarcely  could  refrain 
from  laughing.  I  went  up  to  him  and  said — 

"  WThy,  Green,  how  is  all  this  ? — what  has  happened  ?  " 

"  Happened  ?  "  said  the  poor  fellow ;  "  happened  ?  see 
what  has  happened  ;  here  I  am." 

"  Did  you  make  the  freemason's  signs  ?  "  replied  I. 

"  Didn't  I  ?     Yes — I  did.     Oh,  what  will  become  of  me  ?  " 

89 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

"You  could  not  have  made  them  right;  you  must  have 
forgotten  them." 

"  I'm  sure  I  made  them  as  you  told  me ;  I'm  quite  sure 
of  that." 

"Then  perhaps  I  did  not  recollect  them  exactly  myself. 
However,  be  of  good  heart ;  I  will  have  the  whole  matter 
explained  to  the  first  lieutenant." 

"Pray  do;  only  get  me  out  of  this.  I  don't  want  the 
glass  back." 

"  I'll  have  it  done  directly,"  replied  I. 

As  I  went  away,  Bob  Cross  came  up,  and  said  I  was  wanted 
by  the  first  lieutenant  in  the  gun-room.  "  Don't  be  afraid," 
said  he ;  "  they've  been  laughing  at  it  already,  and  the  first 
lieutenant  is  in  a  capital  humour.  Still  he'll  serve  you  out 
well ;  you  must  expect  that." 

"  Shall  I  make  him  the  sign,  Cross  ?  "  replied  I,  laughing. 

"  No,  no ;  you've  gone  far  enough,  and  too  far  already ; 
mind  what  I  say  to  you." 

I  went  down  into  the  gun-room,  when  a  tittering  ceased 
as  the  sentry  opened  the  door  and  I  walked  in. 

"  Did  you  want  me,  sir  ? "  said  I  to  the  first  lieutenant, 
touching  my  hat,  and  looking  very  demure. 

"  So,  Mr.  Keene,  I  understand  it  was  you  who  have  been 
practising  upon  Mr.  Green,  and  teaching  him  insult  and 
disrespect  to  his  superior  officers  on .  the  quarter-deck. 
Well,  sir?" 

I  made  no  reply,  but  appeared  very  penitent. 

"Because  a  boy  has  just  come  to  sea,  and  is  ignorant  of 
his  profession,  it  appears  to  be  a  custom — which  I  shall  take 
care  shall  not  be  followed  up — to  play  him  all  manner  of 
tricks,  and  tell  him  all  manner  of  falsehoods.  Now,  sir, 
what  have  you  to  say  for  yourself?" 

"Mr.  Green  and  I  have  both  just  come  to  sea,  sir,  and 
the  midshipmen  all  play  us  so  many  tricks,"  replied  I 
humbly,  "  that  I  hardly  know  whether  what  I  do  is  right  or 
wrong." 

"  But,  sir,  it  was  you  who  played  this  trick  to  Mr.  Green." 

"Yes,  sir,  I  told  him  so  for  fun,  but  I  didn't  think  he  was 
such  a  fool  as  to  believe  me.  I  only  said  that  you  were  a 
freemason,  and  that  freemasons  were  kind  to  each  other,  and 
that  you  gave  one  another  signs  to  know  one  another  by ; 

90 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

I  heard  you  say  you  were  a  freemason,  sir,  when  I  dined  in 
the  gun-room." 

"  Well,  sir,  I  did  say  so ;  but  that  is  no  reason  for  your 
teaching  him  to  be  impudent." 

"  He  asked  me  for  the  signs,  sir,  and  I  didn't  know  them 
exactly ;  so  I  gave  him  the  signs  that  Mr.  Dott  and  I  always 
make  between  us." 

"  Mr.  Dott  and  you — a  pretty  pair,  as  I  said  before.  I've 
a  great  mind  to  put  you  in  Mr.  Green's  place ;  at  all  events, 
I  shall  report  your  conduct  when  the  captain  comes  from 
London.  There,  sir,  you  may  go." 

I  put  on  a  penitent  face  as  I  went  out,  wiping  my  eyes 
with  the  back  of  my  hands.  After  I  went  out,  I  waited  a 
few  seconds  at  the  gun-room  door,  and  then  the  officers, 
supposing  that  I  was  out  of  hearing,  gave  vent  to  their  mirth, 
the  first  lieutenant  laughing  the  loudest. 

"  Cross  is  right,"  thought  I,  as  I  went  up  the  ladder.  A 
minute  afterwards,  Mr.  Green  was  set  free,  and,  after  a  severe 
reprimand,  was  allowed  to  return  to  his  duty. 

"You  are  well  out  of  that  trick,  my  hearty/'  said  Bob 
Cross.  "  The  first  lieutenant  won't  say  a  word  to  the  captain, 
never  fear  ;  but  don't  try  it  again." 

But  an  event  occurred  a  few  hours  afterwards  which  might 
have  been  attended  with  more  serious  consequences.  The 
ship  was,  during  the  day,  surrounded  by  shore  boats  of  all 
descriptions,  containing  Jews,  sailors'  wives,  and  many  other 
parties,  who  wished  to  have  admittance  on  board.  It  was 
almost  dusk,  the  tide  was  running  strong  flood,  and  the 
wind  was  very  fresh,  so  that  there  was  a  good  deal  of  sea. 
All  the  boats  had  been  ordered  to  keep  off  by  the  first 
lieutenant,  but  they  still  lingered,  in  hope  of  getting  on 
board. 

I  was  looking  over  the  stern,  and  perceived  that  the  boat 
belonging  to  the  bumboat  woman,  who  was  on  board  of  the 
ship,  was  lying  with  her  painter  fast  to  the  stern  ladder ;  the 
waterman  was  in  her,  as  well  as  one  of  the  sailors'  wives,  who 
had  left  her  own  wherry  in  hopes  of  getting  on  board  when 
the  waterman  went  alongside  to  take  in  the  articles  not 
sold,  when  the  bumboat  woman  left  the  ship,  which  would 
be  in  a  few  minutes,  as  it  was  nearly  gun-fire  for  sunset. 
The  waterman,  who  thought  it  time  to  haul  alongside,  and 

91 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

wished  to  communicate  with   his  employer  on  board,  was 
climbing  up  by  the  stern  ladder. 

"  That's  against  orders,  you  know,"  cried  I  to  the  man. 

"  Yes,  sir ;  but  it  is  so  rough,  that  the  boat  would  be 
swamped  if  it  were  to  remain  alongside  long,  and  I  hope  you 
won't  order  me  down  again.  There's  some  nice  cakes  in  the 
boat,  sir,  just  under  the  stern-sheets,  if  you  would  like  to 
have  them,  and  think  it  worth  while  to  go  down  for  them." 

This  was  a  bribe,  and  I  replied,  "  No,  I  don't  want  your 
cakes,  but  you  may  come  up." 

The  man  thanked  me,  and  walked  forward  as  soon  as  he 
had  gained  the  deck.  On  second  thoughts,  I  determined 
that  I  would  have  the  cakes ;  so  I  descended  by  the  stern 
ladder,  and  desiring  the  woman  who  was  left  in  the  boat  to 
haul  upon  the  rope,  contrived  to  get  into  the  boat. 

"  What  is  it  you  want,  my  dear  ?  "  said  the  woman. 

"  I  come  for  some  of  those  cakes  under  the  stern-sheets." 

"Well,  I'll  soon  rummage  them  out,"  said  she,  "and  I 
hope  you  will  let  me  slip  on  board  when  the  boat  is  along- 
side. Mind,  sir,  how  you  step,  you'll  smash  all  the  pipes. 
Give  me  your  hand.  I'm  an  old  sailor." 

"  I  should  not  think  so,"  replied  I,  looking  at  her.  I 
could  hardly  make  out  her  face,  but  her  form  was  small,  and, 
if  an  old  sailor,  she  certainly  was  a  very  young  woman. 

We  had  a  good  many  articles  to  remove  before  we  could 
get  at  the  cakes,  which  were  under  the  stern-sheets ;  and 
the  boat  rocked  and  tossed  so  violently  with  the  sea  which 
was  running,  that  we  were  both  on  our  knees  for  some  little 
while  before  we  obtained  the  basket :  when  we  did,  to  our 
surprise,  we  found  that  the  boat's  painter,  somehow  or 
another,  had  loosened,  and  that  during  our  search  we  had 
drifted  nearly  one  hundred  yards  from  the  ship. 

"  Mercy  on  me !  —  why,  we  are  adrift,"  exclaimed  the 
woman.  "  What  shall  we  do  ?  It's  no  use  hailing,  they'll 
never  hear  us ;  look  well  round  for  any  boat  you  may  see." 

"  It  is  getting  so  dark  that  we  shall  not  see  far,"  replied  I, 
not  much  liking  our  position.  "  Where  shall  we  go  to  ?  " 

"  Go  to  ! — clean  out  to  St.  Helen's,  if  the  boat  does  not 
fill  before  we  get  there ;  and  farther  than  that  too,  if  I 
mistake  not,  with  this  gale  of  wind.  We  may  as  well  say 
our  prayers,  youngster,  I  can  tell  you." 

92 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

"Can't  we  make  sail  upon  her?"  replied  I.  "Can't  we 
try  and  pull  on  shore  somewhere  ?  Had  we  not  better  do 
that,  and  say  our  prayers  afterwards  ?  "  * 

"Well  said,  my  little  bantam,"  replied  the  woman;  "you 
would  have  made  a  good  officer  if  you  had  been  spared.  But 
the  fact  is,  boy,  that  we  can  do  nothing  with  the  oars  in  this 
heavy  sea ;  and  as  for  the  sail,  how  can  you  and  I  step  the 
mast,  rolling  and  tossing  about  in  this  way  ?  If  the  mast 
were  stepped,  and  the  sail  set,  I  think  I  could  manage  to 
steer  if  the  weather  was  smoother,  but  not  in  this  bubble 
and  this  gale ;  it  requires  older  hands  than  either  you  or  I." 

"  Well,  then,  what  must  we  do  ?  " 

"Why,  we  must  sit  still  and  trust  to  our  luck,  bale  out  the 
boat,  and  keep  her  from  swamping  as  long  as  we  can,  and 
between  times  we  may  cry,  or  we  may  pray,  or  we  may  eat 
the  cakes  and  red  herrings,  or  the  soft  bread  and  other 
articles  in  the  boat." 

"  Let's  bale  the  boat  out  first,"  said  I,  "  for  she's  half  full  of 
water;  then  we'll  have  something  to  eat,  for  I  feel  hungry 
and  cold  already,  and  then  we  may  as  well  say  our  prayers." 

"  Well,  and  I  tell  you  what,  we'll  have  something  to  drink, 
too,  for  I  have  a  drop  for  Jim,  if  I  could  have  got  on  board. 
I  promised  it  to  him,  poor  fellow ;  but  it's  no  use  keeping 
it  now,  for  I  expect  we'll  both  be  in  Davy's  locker  befoi*e 
morning." 

The  woman  took  out,  from  where  it  was  secreted  in  her 
dress,  a  bladder  containing  spirits ;  she  opened  the  mouth  of 
it,  and  poured  out  a  portion  into  one  of  the  milk-cans  ;  having 
drunk  herself,  she  handed  it  to  me  ;  but  not  feeling  inclined, 
and  being  averse  to  spirits,  I  rejected  it :  "  Not  just  now,"  said 
I  ;  "  by-and-by,  perhaps." 

During  the  time  of  this  conversation  we  were  swept  by  a 
strong  tide  and  strong  wind  right  out  of  the  anchorage  at 
Spithead.  The  sea  was  very  high,  and  dashed  into  the  boat, 
so  that  I  was  continually  baling  to  keep  it  free.  The  night 
was  as  dark  as  pitch  ;  we  could  see  nothing  except  the  lights 
of  the  vessels,  which  we  had  left  far  away  from  us,  and  they 
were  now  but  as  little  twinkles  as  we  rose  upon  the  waves. 
The  wind  roared,  and  there  was  every  appearance  of  a  heavy 
gale. 

"  Little  hopes  of  our   weathering  this   storm,"  said   the 

93 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

woman;  "we  shall  soon  be  swamped  if  we  do  not  put  her 
before  the  wind.  I'll  see  if  I  cannot  find  the  lines.'' 

She  did  so  after  a  time,  and  by  means  of  a  rudder  put  the 
boat  before  the  wind ;  the  boat  then  took  in  much  less  water, 
but  ran  at  a  swift  rate  through  the  heavy  sea. 

"  There,  we  shall  do  better  now ;  out  to  sea  we  go,  that's 
clear,"  said  the  woman,  "and  before  daylight  we  shall  be  in 
the  Channel,  if  we  do  not  fill  and  go  down  ;  and  then,  the 
Lord  have  mercy  upon  us,  that's  all !  Won't  you  take  a  drop  ?  " 
continued  she,  pouring  out  some  spirits  into  the  can. 

As  I  felt  very  cold,  I  did  not  this  time  refuse.  I  drank  a 
small  quantity  of  the  spirits  ;  the  woman  took  off  the  remainder, 
which,  with  what  she  had  previously  drunk,  began  to  have  an 
effect  upon  her. 

"That's  right,  my  little  Trojan,"  said  she,  and  she  com- 
menced singing :  " '  A  long  pull,  a  strong  pull,  and  a  pull 
all  together;  in  spite  of  wind  and  weather,  boys,  in  spite  of 
wind  and  weather.'  Poor  Jim,"  continued  she,  "  he'll  be  dis- 
appointed ;  he  made  sure  of  being  glorious  to-night,  and  I 
made  sure  to  sleep  by  his  side — now  he'll  be  quite  sober — and 
I'll  be  food  for  fishes ;  it's  a  cold  bed  that  I  shall  turn  into 
before  morning,  that's  certain.  Hand  me  the  cakes,  boy,  if 
you  can  fumble  them  out ;  the  more  we  fill  ourselves,  the  less 
room  for  salt  water.  Well,  then,  wind  and  waves  are  great 
bullies  :  they  fly  slap  back  in  a  fright  when  they  bang  against 
a  great  ship ;  but  when  they  get  hold  of  a  little  boat  like  this, 
how  they  leap  and  topple  in,  as  if  they  made  sure  of  us  (here 
a  wave  dashed  into  the  boat).  Yes,  that's  your  sort.  Come 
along,  swamp  a  little  boat,  you  washy  cowards,  it's  only  a 
woman  and  a  boy.  Poor  Jim,  he'll  miss  me  something,  but 
he'll  miss  the  liquor  more — who  cares  ?  Let's  have  another 
drop." 

"  Give  me  the  lines,  then,"  said  I,  as  I  perceived  she  was 
letting  them  go,  "or  we  shall  be  broadside  to  the  waves 
again." 

I  took  the  rudder  lines  from  her,  and  steered  the  boat,  while 
she  again  resorted  to  the  bladder  of  spirits. 

"  Take  another  sip,"  said  she,  after  she  had  filled  the  milk- 
can  ;  "  it  won't  harm  you." 

I  thought  the  same,  for  I  was  wet  through,  and  the  wind,  as 
it  howled,  pierced  me  to  the  bones  ;  I  took  a  small  quantity 

94 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

as  before,  and  then  continued  to  keep  the  boat  before  the 
wind.  The  sea  was  increasing  very  much,  and,  although  no 
sailor,  I  felt  fully  convinced  that  the  boat  could  not  live  much 
longer. 

In  the  meantime  the  woman  was  becoming  intoxicated  very 
fast.  I  knew  the  consequences  of  this,  and  requested  her  to 
bale  out  the  boat.  She  did  so,  and  sang  a  mournful  sort  of 
song  as  she  baled,  but  the  howling  of  the  wind  prevented  me 
from  distinguishing  the  words. 

I  cannot  well  analyse  my  feelings  at  this  time — they  were 
confused ;  but  this  I  know,  self-preservation  and  hope  were 
the  most  predominant.  I  thought  of  my  mother,  of  my  aunt,  of 
Captain  Bridgeman,  Captain  Delmar,  and  Bob  Cross ;  but  my 
thoughts  were  as  rapid  as  the  gale  which  bore  us  along,  and  I 
was  too  much  employed  in  steering  the  boat,  and  preventing 
the  seas  from  filling  it,  to  have  a  moment  to  collect  my  ideas. 

Again  the  woman  applied  to  the  bladder  of  spirits,  and 
offered  some  to  me  ;  I  refused.  I  had  had  enough,  and  by 
this  time  she  had  had  too  much,  and  after  an  attempt  to  bale 
she  dropped  down  in  the  stern-sheets,  smashing  pipes  and 
everything  beneath  her,  and  spoke  no  more. 

We  had  now  been  more  than  four  hours  adrift,  the  wind 
was  as  strong  as  ever,  and  I  thought  the  sea  much  higher ; 
but  I  kept  the  boat  steady  before  the  wind,  and  by  degrees, 
as  I  became  more  accustomed  to  steer,  she  did  not  take  in  so 
much  water.  Still  the  boat  appeared  to  be  sinking  deeper 
down,  and  after  a  time  I  considered  it  necessary  to  bale  her 
out.  I  did  so  with  my  hat,  for  I  found  it  was  half  full  of 
water ;  and  then  I  execrated  the  woman  for  having  intoxicated 
herself,  so  as  to  be  useless  in  such  an  emergency. 

I  succeeded  in  clearing  the  boat  of  the  major  portion  of 
the  water,  which  was  no  easy  task,  as  the  boat,  having 
remained  broadside  to  the  wind,  had  taken  in  the  sea  con- 
tinually as  I  baled  it  out.  I  then  once  more  resumed  the 
helm,  and  put  the  boat  before  the  wind,  and  thus  did  I  con- 
tinue for  two  hours  more,  when  the  rain  came  down  in  torrents, 
and  the  storm  was  wilder  than  ever  ;  but  a  Portsmouth  wherry 
is  one  of  the  best  boats  ever  built,  and  so  it  proved  in  this 
instance.  Still  I  was  now  in  a  situation  most  trying  for  a  lad 
between  fourteen  and  fifteen ;  my  teeth  chattered  with  the 
cold,  and  I  was  drenched  through  and  through  ;  the  darkness 

95 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

was  opaque,  and  I  could  see  nothing  but  the  white  foam  of 
the  waves,  which  curled  and  broke  close  to  the  gunwale  of 
the  boat. 

At  one  moment  I  despaired,  and  looked  for  immediate 
death ;  but  my  buoyant  spirit  raised  me  up  again,  and  I 
hoped.  It  would  be  daylight  in  a  few  hours,  and  oh  !  how  I 
looked  and  longed  for  daylight.  I  knew  I  must  keep  the 
boat  before  the  wind  ;  I  did  so,  but  the  seas  were  worse  than 
ever ;  they  now  continually  broke  into  the  boat,  for  the  tide 
had  turned,  which  had  increased  the  swell. 

Again  I  left  the  helm  and  baled  out ;  I  was  cold  and  faint, 
and  I  felt  recovered  with  the  exertion.  I  also  tried  to  rouse 
the  woman,  but  it  was  useless.  I  felt  for  her  bladder  of 
liquor,  and  found  it  in  her  bosom,  more  than  half  empty.  I 
drank  more  freely,  and  my  spirits  and  my  courage  revived. 
After  that,  I  ate,  and  steered  the  boat,  awaiting  the  coming 
daylight. 

It  came  at  last  slowly — so  slowly  ;  but  it  did  come,  and  I 
felt  almost  happy.  There  is  such  a  horror  in  darkness  when 
added  to  danger,  I  felt  as  if  I  could  have  worshipped  the  sun 
as  it  rose  slowly  and  with  a  watery  appearance  above  the 
horizon.  I  looked  around  me.  There  was  something  like 
land  astern  of  us,  such  as  I  had  seen  pointed  out  as  land  by 
Bob  Cross  when  off  the  coast  of  Portugal ;  and  so  it  was — it 
was  the  Isle  of  Wight ;  for  the  wind  had  changed  when  the 
rain  came  down,  and  I  had  altered  the  course  of  the  boat,  so 
that  for  the  last  four  hours  I  had  been  steering  for  the  coast 
of  France. 

But,  although  I  was  cold  and  shivering,  and  worn-out  with 
watching,  and  tired  with  holding  the  lines  by  which  the 
wherry  was  steered,  I  felt  almost  happy  at  the  return  of  day. 
I  looked  down  upon  my  companion  in  the  boat.  She  lay  sound 
asleep,  with  her  head  upon  the  basket  of  tobacco-pipes,  her 
bonnet  wet  and  dripping,  with  its  faded  ribbons  hanging  in 
the  water,  which  washed  to  and  fro  at  the  bottom  of  the 
boat  as  it  rolled  and  rocked  to  the  motion  of  the  waves ;  her 
hair  had  fallen  over  her  face,  so  as  almost  to  conceal  her 
features.  I  thought  that  she  had  died  during  the  night,  so 
silent  and  so  breathless  did  she  lie.  The  waves  were  not  so 
rough  now  as  they  had  been,  for  the  flood  tide  had  again 
made ;  and  as  the  beams  of  the  morning  sun  glanced  on  the 

96 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

water,  the  same  billows  which  appeared  so  dreadful  in  the 
darkness  appeared  to  dance  merrily. 

I  felt  hungry  ;  I  took  up  a  red  herring  from  one  of  the 
baskets,  and  tore  it  to  pieces  with  my  teeth.  I  looked  around 
me  in  every  quarter  to  see  if  there  was  any  vessel  in  sight, 
but  there  was  nothing  to  be  seen  but  now  and  then  a  scream- 
ing sea-gull.  I  tried  to  rouse  my  companion  by  kicking  her 
with  my  foot ;  I  did  not  succeed  in  waking  her  up,  but  she 
turned  round  on  her  back,  and  her  hair  falling  from  her  face, 
discovered  the  features  of  a  young  and  pretty  person,  ap- 
parently not  more  than  nineteen  or  twenty  years  old ;  her 
figure  was  slight  and  well  formed. 

Young  as  I  was,  I  thought  it  a  pity  that  such  a  nice-looking 
person — for  she  still  was  so,  although  in  a  state  of  disorder, 
and  very  dirty — should  be  so  debased  by  intoxication  ;  and  as 
I  looked  at  the  bladder,  still  half  full  of  spirits,  I  seized  it 
with  an  intention  to  throw  it  overboard,  when  I  paused  at  the 
recollection  that  it  had  probably  saved  my  life  during  the 
night,  and  might  yet  be  required. 

I  did  not  like  to  alter  the  course  of  the  boat,  although  I 
perceived  that  we  were  running  fast  from  the  land ;  for 
although  the  sea  had  gone  down  considerably,  there  was  still 
too  much  for  the  boat  to  be  put  broadside  to  it.  I  cannot 
say  that  I  was  unhappy ;  I  found  my  situation  so  very  much 
improved  to  what  it  was  during  the  darkness  of  the  night. 
The  sun  shone  bright,  and  I  felt  its  warmth.  I  had  no  idea 
of  being  lost — death  did  not  enter  my  thoughts.  There 
was  plenty  to  eat,  and  some  vessel  would  certainly  pick  us 
up.  Nevertheless,  I  said  my  prayers  more  devoutly  than  I 
usually  did. 

About  noon,  as  near  as  I  could  guess,  the  tide  changed 
again,  and  as  the  wind  had  lulled  very  much,  there  was  little 
or  no  swell.  I  thought  that,  now  that  the  motion  was  not  so 
great,  we  might  possibly  ship  the  foremast  and  make  some 
little  sail  upon  the  boat,  and  I  tried  again  more  earnestly  to 
rouse  up  my  companion  ;  after  a  few  not  very  polite  attempts, 
I  succeeded  in  ascertaining  that  she  was  alive. 

" Be  quiet,  Jim,"  said  she,  with  her  eyes  still  closed  ;  "it's 
not  five  bells  yet." 

Another  kick  or  two,  and  she  turned  herself  round  and 
stared  wildly. 

97  G 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

"Jim,"  said  she,  rubbing  her  eyes,  and  then  she  looked  about 
her,  and  at  once  she  appeared  to  remember  what  had  passed ; 
she  shrieked,  and  covered  her  face  up  with  her  hands. 

"  I  thought  it  was  a  dream,  and  was  going  to  tell  Jim  all 
about  it  at  breakfast,"  said  she  sorrowfully,  "  but  it's  all  true 
— true  as  gospel.  What  will  become  of  me  ?  We  are  lost, 
lost,  lost ! " 

"  We  are  not  lost,  but  we  should  have  been  lost  this  night  if 
I  had  been  as  drunk  as  you  have  been,"  replied  I ;  "  I've  had 
work  enough  to  keep  the  boat  above  water,  I  can  tell  you." 

"That's  truth,"  replied  she,  rising  up  and  taking  a  seat 
upon  the  thwart  of  the  boat.  "  God  forgive  me,  poor  wretch 
that  I  am ;  what  will  Jim  think,  and  what  will  he  say,  when 
he  sees  my  best  bonnet  in  such  a  pickle  ?  " 

"  Are  you  quite  sure  that  you'll  ever  see-  Jim  again,  or  that 
you'll  ever  want  your  best  bonnet  ?  "  replied  I. 

"  That's  true.  If  one's  body  is  to  be  tossed  about  by  green 
waves,  it's  little  matter  whether  there's  a  bonnet  or  shawl  on. 
Where  are  we,  do  you  know  ?  " 

"  I  can  just  see  the  land  out  there,"  replied  I,  pointing 
astern ;  "  the  sea  is  smooth ;  I  think  we  could  ship  the  fore- 
mast, and  get  sail  upon  her." 

The  young  woman  stood  up  in  the  boat. 

"  Yes,"  said  she,  "I'm  pretty  steady,  I  think  we  could.  Last 
night  in  the  dark  and  the  tossing  sea  I  could  do  nothing,  but 
now  I  can.  What  a  blessing  is  daylight  to  cowards  like  me ! — 
I  am  only  afraid  in  the  dark.  We  must  put  some  sail  upon 
the  boat,  or  nobody  will  see  us.  What  did  you  do  with  the 
bladder  of  liquor  ?  " 

"  Threw  it  overboard,"  replied  I. 

"  Had  you  courage  to  do  that  ? — and  watching  through  the 
night  so  wet  and  cold.  Well,  you  did  right — I  could  not  have 
done  it.  Oh  !  that  liquor — that  liquor ;  I  wish  there  wasn't 
such  a  thing  in  the  world,  but  it's  too  late  now.  When  I 
first  married  James  Pearson,  and  the  garland  was  hung  to  the 
mainstay  of  the  frigate,  nobody  could  persuade  me  to  touch 
it,  not  even  James  himself,  whom  I  loved  so  much.  Instead 
of  quarrelling  with  me  for  not  drinking  it,  as  he  used  to  do, 
he  now  quarrels  with  me  for  drinking  the  most.  If  you'll 
come  forward,  sir,  and  help  me,  we'll  soon  get  up  the  fore- 
mast. This  is  it,  you  see,  with  the  jib  passed  round  it.  Jim 

98 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

often  says  that  I'd  make  a  capital  sailor,  if  I'd  only  enter  in 
man's  clothes ;  but,  as  I  tell  him,  I  should  be  put  up  at  the 
gangway  for  not  being  sober,  before  I'd  been  on  board  a 
week." 

We  contrived  to  ship  the  mast,  and  set  the  jib  and  foresail. 
As  soon  as  the  sheets  were  hauled  aft,  my  companion  took 
the  steering  lines,  saying,  "  I  know  how  to  manage  her  well 
enough,  now  it's  daylight,  and  I'm  quite  sober.  You  must  be 
very  tired,  sir ;  so  sit  down  on  the  thwart,  or  lie  down  if  you 
please,  and  take  a  nap ;  all's  safe  enough  now — see,  we  lie 
up  well  for  the  land;"  and  such  was  the  case,  for  she  had 
brought  the  boat  to  the  wind,  and  we  skimmed  over  the 
waves  at  the  rate  of  three  or  four  miles  an  hour.  I  had  no 
inclination  to  sleep ;  I  baled  the  boat  out  thoroughly,  and 
put  the  baskets  and  boxes  into  some  kind  of  order.  I  then 
sat  down  on  the  thwarts,  first  looking  round  for  a  vessel  in 
sight ;  but  seeing  none,  I  entered  into  conversation  with  my 
companion. 

"  What  is  your  name  ?  "  said  I. 

u  Peggy  Pearson ;  I  have  my  marriage  lines  to  show  ;  they 
can  throw  nothing  in  my  face,  except  that  I'm  fond  of  liquor, 
God  forgive  me." 

"And  what  makes  you  so  fond  of  it  now,  since  you  say 
that  when  you  were  married  you  did  not  care  for  it  ?  " 

"  You  may  well  say  that :  it  all  came  of  sipping.  James 
would  have  me  on  his  knee,  and  would  insist  on  my  taking  a 
sip ;  and  to  please  him  I  did,  although  it  made  me  almost 
sick  at  first,  and  then  after  a  while  I  did  not  mind  it;  and  then, 
you  see,  when  I  was  waiting  at  the  sally-port  with  the  other 
women,  the  wind  blowing  fresh,  and  the  spray  wetting  us  as 
we  stood  on  the  shingle  with  our  arms  wrapped  up  in  our 
aprons,  looking  out  for  a  boat  from  the  ship  to  come  on  shore, 
they  would  have  a  quartern,  and  make  me  take  a  drop ;  and 
so  it  went  on.  Then  James  made  me  bring  him  liquor  on 
board,  and  1  drank  some  with  him ;  but  what  finished  me 
was,  that  I  heard  something  about  James  when  he  was  at 
Plymouth,  which  made  me  jealous,  and  then  for  the  first 
time  I  got  tipsy.  After  that,  it  was  all  over  with  me  ;  but, 
as  I  said  before,  it  began  with  sipping — worse  luck,  but  it's 
done  now.  Tell  me  what  has  passed  during  the  night.  Has 
the  weather  been  very  bad  ?  " 

99 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

I  told  her  what  had  occurred,  and  how  I  had  kicked  her  to 
wake  her  up. 

"  Well,  I  deserved  more  than  kicking,  and  you're  a  fine 
brave  fellow;  and  if  we  get  on  board  the  Calliope  again — 
and  I  trust  to  God  we  shall — I'll  take  care  to  blow  the 
trumpet  for  you  as  you  deserve." 

"  I  don't  want  any  one  to  blow  the  trumpet  for  me," 
replied  I. 

"  Don't  you  be  proud  ;  a  good  word  from  me  may  be  of 
use  to  you,  and  it's  what  you  deserve.  The  ship's  company 
will  think  highly  of  you,  I  can  tell  you.  A  good  name  is 
of  no  small  value — a  captain  has  found  out  that  before  now  ; 
you're  only  a  lad,  but  you're  a  regular  trump,  and  the  seamen 
shall  all  know  it,  and  the  officers  too." 

"  We  must  get  on  board  the  ship  first,"  replied  I,  "  and  we 
are  a  long  way  from  it  just  now." 

"  We're  all  right,  and  I  have  no  fear.  If  we  don't  see  a  vessel, 
we  shall  fetch  the  land  somewhere  before  to-morrow  morning, 
and  it  don't  look  as  if  there  would  be  any  more  bad  weather. 
I  wonder  if  they  have  sent  anything  out  to  look  after  us  ?  " 

"  What's  that  ?  "  said  I,  pointing  astern,  "  it's  a  sail  of  some 
kind." 

"  Yes,"  said  Peggy,  "  so  it  is ;  it's  a  square-rigged  vessel 
coming  up  the  Channel — we  had  better  get  011  the  other  tack, 
and  steer  for  her." 

We  wore  the  boat  round  and  ran  in  the  direction  of  the 
vessel.  In  three  hours  we  were  close  to  her ;  I  hailed  her 
as  she  came  down  upon  us,  but  no  one  appeared  to  hear  us  or 
see  us,  for  she  had  lower  studding-sails  set,  and  there  was  no 
one  forward.  We  hailed  again,  and  the  vessel  was  now  within 
twenty  yards,  and  we  were  right  across  her  bows ;  a  man 
came  forward,  and  cried  out,  "  Starboard  your  helm  ! "  but  not 
in  sufficient  time  to  prevent  the  vessel  from  striking  the 
wherry,  and  to  stave  her  quarter  in;  we  dropped  alongside 
as  the  wherry  filled  with  water,  and  we  were  hauled  in  by 
the  seamen  over  the  gunwale,  just  as  she  turned  over  and 
floated  away  astern. 

"  Touch  and  go,  my  lad,"  said  one  of  the  seamen  who  had 
hauled  me  on  board. 

"Why  don't  you  keep  a  better  look-out?"  said  Peggy 
Pearson,  shaking  her  petticoats,  which  were  wet  up  to  the 

100 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

knees.  "  Paint  eyes  in  the  bows  of  your  brig,  if  you  haven't 
any  yourself.  Now  you've  lost  a  boatful  of  red  herrings, 
eggs,  and  soft  tommy — no  bad  things  after  a  long  cruise ; 
we  meant  to  have  paid  our  passage  with  them — now  you 
must  take  us  for  nothing." 

The  master  of  the  vessel,  who  was  on  deck,  observed  that 
I  was  in  the  uniform  of  an  officer.  He  asked  me  how  it  was 
we  were  found  in  such  a  situation  ?  I  narrated  what  had 
passed  in  few  words.  He  said  that  he  was  from  Cadiz  bound 
to  London,  and  that  he  would  put  us  on  shore  at  any  place  up 
the  river  I  would  like,  but  that  he  could  not  lose  the  chance 
of  the  fair  wind  to  land  me  anywhere  else. 

I  was  too  thankful  to  be  landed  anywhere ;  and  telling 
him  that  I  should  be  very  glad  if  he  could  put  me  on  shore 
at  Sheerness,  which  was  the  nearest  place  to  Chatham,  I 
asked  leave  to  turn  into  one  of  the  cabin  bed-places,  and 
was  soon  fast  asleep. 

I  may  as  well  here  observe,  that  I  had  been  seen  by  the 
sentry  abaft  to  go  down  by  the  stern  ladder  into  the  boat, 
and  when  the  waterman  came  tack  shortly  afterwards  to  haul 
his  boat  up,  and  perceived  that  it  had  gone  adrift,  there  was 
much  alarm  on  my  account.  It  was  too  dark  to  send  a  boat 
after  us  that  night,  but  the  next  morning  the  case  was  re- 
ported to  the  admiral  of  the  port,  who  directed  a  cutter  to 
get  under  weigh  and  look  for  us. 

The  cutter  had  kept  close  in-shore  for  the  first  day,  and  it 
was  on  the  morning  after  I  was  picked  up  by  the  brig,  that, 
in  standing  more  out,  she  had  fallen  in  with  the  wherry, 
bottom  up.  This  satisfied  them  that  we  had  perished  in  the 
rough  night,  and  it  was  so  reported  to  the  port-admiral  and 
to  Captain  Delmar,  who  had  just  come  down  from  London. 

I  slept  soundly  till  the  next  morning,  when  I  found  that 
the  wind  had  fallen,  and  that  tt  was  nearly  calm.  Peggy 
Pearson  was  on  deck ;  she  had  washed  herself  and  smoothed 
out  with  an  iron  the  ribbons  of  her  bonnet,  and  was  really  a 
very  handsome  young  woman. 

"  Mr.  Keene,"  said  she,  "  I  didn't  know  your  name  before 
you  told  it  to  the  skipper  here  ;  you're  in  a  pretty  scrape.  I 
don't  know  what  Jim  Pearson  will  say  when  you  go  back, 
running  away  with  his  wife  as  you  have  done.  Don't  you 
think  I  had  better  go  back  first,  and  smooth  things  over  ?  " 

101 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

"  Oh !  you  laugh  now,"  replied  I ;  "  but  you  didn't  laugh 
the  night  we  went  adrift." 

"Because  it  was  no  laughing  matter.  I  owe  my  life  to 
you,  and  if  I  had  been  adrift  by  myself,  I  should  never  have 
put  my  foot  on  shore  again.  Do  you  know,"  said  she  to  me 
very  solemnly,  "I've  made  a  vow — yes,  a  vow  to  Heaven, 
that  I'll  leave  off  drinking;  and  I  only  hope  I  may  have 
strength  given  me  to  keep  it." 

"  Can  you  keep  it  ?  "  said  I. 

"  I  think  I  can ;  for  when  I  reflect  that  I  might  have  gone 
to  my  account  in  that  state,  I  really  feel  a  horror  of  liquor. 
If  James  would  only  give  it  up,  I  am  sure  I  could.  I  swear 
that  I  never  will  bring  him  any  more  on  board — that's  settled. 
He  may  scold  me,  he  may  beat  me  (I  don't  think  he  would 
do  that,  for  he  never  has  yet),  but  let  him  do  what  he  pleases, 
I  never  will ;  and  if  he  keeps  sober  because  he  hasn't  the 
means  of  getting  tipsy,  I  am  sure  that  I  shall  keep  my  vow. 
You  don't  know  how  I  hate  myself;  and  although  I'm  merry, 
it's  only  to  prevent  my  sitting  down  and  crying  like  a  child 
at  my  folly  and  wickedness  in  yielding  to  temptation." 

"  I  little  thought  to  hear  this  from  you.  When  I  was  with 
you  in  the  boat,  I  thought  you  a  very  different  person." 

"A  woman  who  drinks,  Mr.  Keene,  is  lost  to  everything. 
I've  often  thought  of  it,  after  I've  become  sober  again. 
Five  years  ago  I  was  the  best  girl  in  the  school.  I  was  the 
monitor,  and  wore  a  medal  for  good  conduct.  I  thought 
that  I  should  be  so  happy  with  James ;  I  loved  him  so,  and 
do  so  still.  I  knew  that  he  was  fond  of  liquor,  but  I  never 
thought  that  he  would  make  me  drink.  I  thought  then  that 
I  should  cure  him,  and  with  the  help  of  God  I  will  now ;  not 
only  him,  but  myself  too." 

And  I  will  here  state  that  Peggy  Pearson,  whose  only  fault 
was  the  passion  she  had  imbibed  for  drinking,  did  keep  her 
vow — the  difficulty  of  which  few  can  understand  who  have 
not  been  intemperate  themselves ;  and  she  not  only  con- 
tinued sober  herself,  but  by  degrees  broke  her  husband  of 
his  similar  propensity  to  liquor. 

It  was  not  till  the  evening  of  the  fourth  day  that  we 
arrived  at  the  Nore.  I  had  four  pounds  in  my  pocket  at  the 
time  that  I  went  adrift,  which  was  more  than  sufficient,  even 
if  I  had  not  intended  to  go  and  see  my  mother.  A  wherry 

102 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

came  alongside,  and  Peggy  Pearson  and  I  stepped  into  it, 
after  I  had  thanked  the  captain,  and  given  a  sovereign  to 
the  seamen  to  drink  my  health. 

As  soon  as  we  landed  at  Sheerness  I  gave  another  of  my 
sovereigns  to  Peggy,  and  left  her  to  find  her  way  back  to 
Portsmouth,  while  I  walked  up  to  Chatham  to  my  mother's 
house. 

It  was  past  eight  o'clock  and  quite  dark  when  I  arrived ; 
the  shop  was  closed,  and  the  shutters  up  at  the  front  door, 
so  I  went  round  to  the  back  to  obtain  admittance.  The  door 
was  not  fast,  and  I  walked  into  the  little  parlour  without 
meeting  with  anybody.  I  heard  somebody  upstairs,  and  I 
thought  I  heard  sobbing  ;  it  then  struck  me  that  my  supposed 
loss  might  have  been  communicated  to  my  mother.  There 
was  a  light  on  the  parlour  table,  and  I  perceived  an  open 
letter  lying  near  to  it.  I  looked  at  it;  it  was  the  hand- 
writing of  Captain  Delmar.  The  candle  required  snuffing; 
I  raised  the  letter  to  the  light  that  I  might  read  it,  and 
read  as  follows  : — 

"  MY  DEAR  ARABELLA, — You  must  prepare  yourself  for  very 
melancholy  tidings,  and  it  is  most  painful  to  me  to  be  com- 
pelled to  be  the  party  who  communicates  them.  A  dreadful 
accident  has  occurred,  and  indeed  I  feel  most  sincerely  for 
you.  On  the  night  of  the  10th,  Percival  \vas  in  a  boat  which 
broke  adrift  from  the  ship  in  a  gale  of  wind  ;  it  was  dark,  and 
the  fact  not  known  until  too  late  to  render  any  assistance. 

"  The  next  day  a  cutter  was  despatched  by  the  admiral  to 
look  for  the  boat,  which  must  have  been  driven  out  to  sea ; 
there  was  a  woman  in  the  boat  as  well  as  our  poor  boy.  Alas  ! 
I  regret  to  say  that  the  boat  was  found  bottom  up,  and  there 
is  no  doubt  but  that  our  dear  child  has  perished. 

"You  will  believe  me  when  I  say  that  I  deeply  lament  his 
loss ;  not  only  on  your  account,  but  because  I  had  become 
most  partial  to  him  for  his  many  good  qualities;  and  often 
have  I  regretted  that  his  peculiar  position  prevented  me 
from  showing  him  openly  that  regard  which,  as  his  father,  I 
really  felt  for  him. 

"I  know  that  I  can  say  nothing  that  will  alleviate  your 
sufferings,  and  yet  I  fain  would,  for  you  have  been  so  true, 
and  anxious  to  please  me  in  every  point  since  our  first 

103 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

acquaintance  and  intimacy,  that  there  is  nothing  that  you  do 
not  deserve  at  my  hands. 

"  Comfort  yourself,  dear  Arabella,  as  well  as  you  can,  with 
the  reflection  that  it  has  been  the  will  of  Heaven,  to  whose 
decrees  we  must  submit  with  resignation.  I  am  deeply 
suffering  myself;  for,  had  he  lived,  I  swear  to  you  that  I 
intended  to  do  much  more  for  him  than  ever  I  had  promised 
you.  He  would  have  made  a  good  and  gallant  sailor  had  it 
pleased  Heaven  to  spare  him,  and  you  would  have  been 
proud  of  him  ;  but  it  has  been  decided  otherwise,  and  we 
must  bow  in  obedience  to  His  will.  God  bless  you,  and 
support  you  in  your  afflictions,  and  believe  me  still  yours, 
most  sincerely  and  faithfully,  PERCIVAL  DELMAR." 

"  Then  it  is  so,"  thought  I ;  "  here  I  have  it  under  his  own 
hand."  I  immediately  folded  up  the  letter,  and  put  it  into 
my  bosom.  "You  and  I  never  part,  that  is  certain,"  mur- 
mured I.  I  had  almost  lost  my  breath  from  emotion,  and 
I  sat  down  to  recover  myself.  After  a  minute  or  two  I  pulled 
the  letter  out  and  read  it  over  again.  "And  he  is  my  father, 
and  he  loves  me,  but  dare  not  show  it,  and  he  intended  to  do 
more  for  me  than  even  he  had  promised  my  mother." 

I  folded  up  the  letter,  kissed  it  fervently,  and  replaced  it 
in  my  bosom.  "Now,"  thought  I,  "what  shall  I  do?  This 
letter  will  be  required  of  me  by  my  mother,  but  never  shall 
she  get  it ;  not  tears,  nor  threats,  nor  entreaties  shall  ever 
induce  me  to  part  with  it.  What  shall  I  do  ?  Nobody  has 
seen  me — nobody  knows  that  I  have  been  here.  I  will  go 
directly  and  join  my  ship ;  yes,  that  will  be  my  best  plan." 

I  was  so  occupied  with  my  own  reverie,  that  I  did  not  per- 
ceive a  footstep  on  the  stairs,  until  the  party  was  so  far  down 
that  I  could  not  retreat.  I  thought  to  hide  myself.  I  knew 
by  the  list  shoes  that  it  must  be  my  grandmother.  A  moment 
of  reflection.  I  blew  out  the  light  on  the  table,  and  put 
myself  in  an  attitude  :  one  arm  raised  aloft,  the  other  ex- 
tended from  my  body,  and  with  my  mouth  wide  open  and  my 
eyes  fixed,  I  awaited  her  approach.  She  came  in — saw  me — 
uttered  a  fearful  shriek,  and  fell  senseless  on  the  floor ;  the 
candle  in  her  hand  was  extinguished  in  the  fall.  I  stepped 
over  her  body,  and  darting  out  into  the  back-yard,  gained  the 
door,  and  was  in  the  street  in  a  minute, 

104 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 


CHAPTER  XVII 

JL  WAS  soon  in  the  high-road,  and  clear  of  the  town  of 
Chatham.  As  my  object  was  that  it  should  not  be  supposed 
that  I  had  been  there,  I  made  all  the  haste  I  could  to  in- 
crease my  distance;  I  therefore  walked  on  in  the  direction 
of  Gravesend,  where  I  arrived  about  ten  o'clock.  A  return 
chaise  offered  to  take  me  to  Greenwich  for  a  few  shillings, 
and  before  morning  dawned  I  had  gained  the  metropolis. 

I  lost  no  time  in  inquiring  when  the  coaches  started  for 
Portsmouth,  and  found  that  I  was  in  plenty  of  time,  as  one 
set  off  at  nine  o'clock. 

Much  as  I  wished  to  see  London,  my  curiosity  gave  way 
to  what  I  considered  the  necessity  of  my  immediate  return 
to  the  frigate.  At  seven  o'clock  in  the  evening  I  arrived  at 
Portsmouth ;  I  hastened  down,  jumped  into  a  wherry,  and 
was  on  board  of  the  frigate  again  by  eight. 

It  may  be  imagined  that  my  sudden  and  unexpected 
appearance  caused  no  little  surprise.  Indeed,  the  first  lieu- 
tenant considered  it  right  to  send  the  gig  on  shore  at  that 
late  hour  to  apprise  the  captain  of  my  return,  and  Bob  Cross 
had  just  time  to  give  me  a  wring  of  the  hand  before  he 
jumped  into  the  boat,  and  went  away  to  make  the  report. 

I  gave  a  history  of  my  adventures  to  the  officers,  leaving 
them,  however,  to  suppose  that  I  had  never  been  to  Chatham, 
but  had  gone  up  to  London  in  the  merchant  vessel. 

Pearson,  the  boatswain's  mate,  came  to  make  inquiries 
about  his  wife  ;  and  soon  after  Bob  Cross  came  on  board  with 
the  captain's  orders,  that  I  should  go  on  shore  to  him  in  the 
gig  on  the  following  morning. 

I  wished  very  much  to  consult  Bob  Cross  previous  to  my 
seeing  the  captain.  I  told  him  so,  and  he  agreed  to  meet  me 
on  the  gangway  about  ten  o'clock,  as  by  that  time  the  officers 
would  be  almost  all  in  bed,  and  there  would  be  less  chance 
of  interruption. 

It  was  a  fine  clear  night,  and  as  soon  as  we  found  ourselves 
alone  I  narrated  to  him,  in  a  low  voice,  all  that  had  taken 
place,  and  gave  him  the  contents  of  the  letter  which  I  had 

105 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

taken  possession  of.  I  then  asked  him  what  he  thought  I 
ought  to  do,  now  that  I  was  certain  of  being  the  son  of  the 
captain. 

"  Why,  Master  Keene,  you  have  done  it  very  cleverly,  that's 
the  truth  ;  and  that  letter,  which  is  as  good  as  a  certificate 
from  Captain  Delmar,  must  be  taken  great  care  of.  I  hardly 
know  where  it  ought  to  be  put,  but  I  think  the  best  thing 
will  be  for  me  to  sew  it  in  a  sealskin  pouch  that  I  have,  and 
then  you  can  wear  it  round  your  neck,  and  next  your  skin  ; 
for,  as  you  say,  you  and  that  must  never  part  company.  But, 
Master  Keene,  you  must  be  silent  as  death  about  it.  You 
have  told  me,  and  I  hope  I  may  be  trusted,  but  trust  nobody 
else.  As  to  saying  or  hinting  anything  to  the  captain,  you 
mustn't  think  of  it :  you  must  go  on  as  before,  as  if  you  knew 
nothing,  for  if  he  thought  you  had  the  letter  in  your  posses- 
sion he  would  forget  you  were  his  son,  and  perhaps  hate  you. 
He  never  would  have  been  induced  to  acknowledge  you  under 
his  own  hand  as  his  son  had  he  not  thought  that  you  were 
dead  and  gone,  as  everybody  else  did ;  so  behave  just  as  re- 
spectful and  distant  as  before.  It's  only  in  some  great  emer- 
gency that  that  letter  will  do  you  any  good,  and  you  must 
reserve  it  in  case  of  need.  If  your  mother  is  suspicious,  why, 
you  must  blind  her.  Your  granny  will  swear  that  it  was  your 
ghost ;  your  mother  may  think  otherwise,  but  cannot  prove 
it ;  she  dare  not  tell  the  captain  that  she  suspects  you  have 
the  letter,  and  it  will  all  blow  over  after  a  cruise  or  two." 

I  agreed  to  follow  the  advice  of  Bob  Cross,  as  I  saw  it  was 
good,  and  we  parted  for  the  night. 

The  next  morning  I  went  on  shore  to  the  captain,  who 
received  me  very  stiffly,  with  "Mr.  Keene,  you  have  had  a 
narrow  escape.  How  did  you  get  back  ?  " 

I  replied  that  the  vessel  which  picked  me  up  was  bound  to 
London,  and  that  I  had  taken  the  coach  down. 

"  Well,  I  never  had  an  idea  that  we  should  have  seen  you 
again,  and  I  have  written  to  your  mother,  acquainting  her 
with  your  loss." 

"Have  you,  sir?"  replied  I;  "it  will  make  her  very 
unhappy." 

"  Of  course  it  will ;  but  I  shall  write  by  this  post,  stating 
that  you  have  been  so  fortunately  preserved." 

"  Thanky,  sir/'  replied  I;  "have  you  any  further  orders,  sir?" 

106 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

"  No,  Mr.  Keene ;  you  may  go  on  board  and  return  to 
your  duty." 

I  made  my  bow,  and  quitted  the  room  ;  went  down  below, 
and  found  Bob  Cross  waiting  for  me. 

"  Well  ?  "  said  he,  as  we  walked  away. 

"Stiff  as  ever,"  replied  I;  "told  me  to  go  on  board  and 
'tend  to  my  duty." 

"  Well,  I  knew  it  would  be  so,"  replied  Bob  ;  "  it's  hard  to 
say  what  stuff  them  great  nobs  are  made  of.  Never  mind  that; 
you've  your  own  game  to  play,  and  your  own  secret  to  keep." 

"  His  secret,"  replied  I,  biting  my  lips,  "  to  keep  or  to  tell, 
as  may  happen." 

"  Don't  let  your  vexation  get  the  better  of  you,  Master 
Keene  :  you've  the  best  of  it,  if  you  only  keep  your  temper; 
let  him  play  his  cards,  and  you  play  yours.  As  you  know  his 
cards  and  he  don't  know  yours,  you  must  win  the  game  in 
the  end — that  is,  if  you  are  commonly  prudent." 

"  You  are  right,  Cross,"  replied  I ;  "  but  you  forget  that  I 
am  but  a  boy." 

"You  are  but  a  boy,  Master  Keene,  but  you've  no  fool's 
head  on  your  shoulders." 

"  I  hope  not,"  replied  I ;  "but  here  we  are  at  the  boat." 

"  Yes  ;  and,  as  I  live,  hei'e's  Peggy  Pearson.  WTell,  Peggy, 
how  did  you  like  your  cruise  with  Master  Keene  ?  " 

"  If  ever  I  go  on  another,  I  hope  he  will  be  my  companion. 
Master  Keene,  will  you  allow  me  to  go  on  board  with  you  to 
see  my  husband  ?  " 

"Oh  yes,  Peggy,"  replied  Cross;  "the  first  lieutenant 
would  not  refuse  you  after  what  has  happened,  nor  Captain 
Delmar  either,  stiff  as  he  is ;  for,  although  he  never  shows  it, 
he  don't  want  feeling.  Jim  will  be  glad  to  see  you,  Peggy ; 
you  haven't  an  idea  how  he  took  on,  when  he  heard  of  your 
loss.  He  borrowed  a  pocket-handkerchief  from  the  corporal 
of  marines." 

"  I  suspect  he'd  rather  borrow  a  bottle  of  rum  from  the 
purser,"  replied  Peggy. 

"  Recollect,  Peggy,"  said  I,  holding  up  my  finger. 

"  Mr.  Keene,  I  do  recollect ;  I  pledge  you  my  word  that  I 
have  not  tasted  a  drop  of  spirits  since  we  parted — and  that 
with  a  sovereign  in  my  pocket." 

"  Well,  only  keep  to  it— that's  all." 

107 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

"  I  will  indeed,  Mr.  Keene ;  and,  what's  more,  I  shall  love 
you  as  long  as  I  live." 

We  pulled  on  board  in  the  gig,  and  Peggy  was  soon  in  the 
arms  of  her  husband.  As  Pearson  embraced  her  at  the 
gangway — for  he  could  not  help  it — the  first  lieutenant  very 
kindly  said,  "  Pearson,  I  shan't  want  you  on  deck  till  after 
dinner  :  you  may  go  below  with  your  wife." 

"Now,  may  God  bless  you,  for  a  cross-looking,  kind- 
hearted  gentleman,"  said  Peggy  to  the  first  lieutenant. 

Peggy  was  as  good  as  her  word  to  me ;  she  gave  such  an 
account  of  my  courage  and  presence  of  mind,  of  her  fears, 
and  at  last  of  her  getting  tipsy — of  my  remaining  at  the 
helm  and  managing  the  boat  all  night  by  myself,  that  I 
obtained  great  reputation  among  the  ship's  company ;  and 
it  was  all  reported  to  the  officers,  and  woi'ked  its  way  until 
it  came  from  the  first  lieutenant  to  the  captain,  and  from 
the  captain  to  the  port-admiral.  This  is  certain,  that  Peggy 
Pearson  did  do  me  a  good  service ;  for  I  was  no  longer 
looked  upon  as  a  mere  youngster,  who  had  just  come  to  sea, 
and  who  had  not  been  tried. 

"Well,  sir,"  said  Bob  Cross  a  day  or  two  afterwards,  "it 
seems,  by  Peggy  Pearson's  report,  that  you  are  not  frightened 
at  a  trifle." 

"  Peg  Pearson's  report  won't  do  me  much  good." 

"You  ought  to  know  better,  Master  Keene,  than  to  say 
that ;  a  mouse  may  help  a  lion,  as  the  fable  says." 

"  Where  did  you  learn  all  your  fables,  Cross  ?  " 

"  I'll  tell  you ;  there's  a  nice  little  girl  that  used  to  sit  on 
my  knee  and  read  her  fables  to  me,  and  I  listened  to  her 
because  I  loved  her." 

"  And  does  she  do  so  now  ?  " 

"Oh  no;  she's  too  big  for  that — she'd  blush  up  to  the 
temples ;  but  never  mind  the  girl  or  the  fables.  I  told  you. 
that  Peggy  had  reported  your  conduct,  as  we  say  in  the 
service.  Now  do  you  know,  that  this  very  day  I  heard  the 
first  lieutenant  speaking  of  it  to  the  captain,  and  you've  no 
idea  how  proud  the  captain  looked,  although  he  pretended 
to  care  nothing  about  it;  I  watched  him,  and  he  looked  as 
much  as  to  say,  '  That's  my  boy.' " 

"  Well,  if  that  pleases  him,  I'll  make  him  prouder  yet  of 
me,  if  I  have  the  opportunity,"  replied  I, 

108 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

"That  you  will,  Master  Keene,  if  I'm  any  judge  of  fizo- 
nomy ;  and  that's  the  way  to  go  to  a  parent's  heart :  make 
him  feel  proud  of  you." 

I  did  not  forget  this,  as  the  reader  will  eventually  dis- 
cover. 

I  had  written  to  my  mother,  giving  her  a  long  account  of 
my  adventures,  but  not  saying  a  word  of  my  having  been  at 
Chatham.  I  made  her  suppose,  as  I  did  the  captain,  that  I 
had  been  carried  up  to  London.  My  letter  reached  her  the 
day  after  the  one  announcing  my  safety,  written  to  her  by 
Captain  Delmar. 

She  answered  me  by  return  of  post,  thanking  Heaven  for 
my  preservation,  and  stating  how  great  had  been  her  anguish 
and  misery  at  my  supposed  loss.  In  the  latter  part  of  the 
letter  was  this  paragraph  : — 

"  Strange  to  say,  on  the  night  of  the  1 5th,  when  I  was  on 
my  bed  in  tears,  having  but  just  received  the  news  of  your 
loss,  your  grandmother  went  downstairs,  and  declares  that 
she  saw  you  or  your  ghost  in  the  little  back  parlour.  At  all 
events,  I  found  her  insensible  on  the  floor,  so  that  she  must 
have  seen  something.  She  might  have  been  frightened  at 
nothing ;  and  yet  I  know  not  what  to  think,  for  there  are 
circumstances  which  almost  make  me  believe  that  somebody 
was  in  the  house.  I  presume  you  can  prove  an  alibi." 

That  my  mother  had  been  suspicious,  perhaps  more  than 
suspicious,  from  the  disappearance  of  the  letter,  I  was  con- 
vinced. When  I  replied  to  her,  I  said :  "  My  alibi  is  easily 
proved  by  applying  to  the  master  and  seamen  of  the  vessel  on 
board  of  which  I  was.  Old  granny  must  have  been  frightened 
at  her  own  shadow  :  the  idea  of  my  coming  to  your  house,  and 
having  left  it  without  seeing  you,  is  rather  too  absurd  ;  granny 
must  have  invented  the  story,  because  she  hates  me,  and 
thought  to  make  you  do  the  same." 

Whatever  my  mother  may  have  thought,  she  did  not  again 
mention  the  subject.  I  had,  however,  a  few  days  afterwards, 
a  letter  from  my  aunt  Milly,  in  which  she  laughingly  told  the 
same  story  of  granny  swearing  that  she  had  seen  me  or  my 
ghost.  "  At  first  we  thought  it  was  your  ghost,  but  since  a 
letter  from  Captain  Delmar  to  your  mother  has  been  missing, 
it  is  now  imagined  that  you  have  been  here,  and  have  taken 
possession  of  it,  You  will  tell  me,  my  dearest  Percival,  I'm 

109 


PERCIVAL  KEEXE 

sure,  if  you  did  play  this  trick  to  granny,  or  not ;  you  know 
you  may  trust  me  with  any  of  your  tricks." 

But  I  was  not  in  this  instance  to  be  wheedled  by  my  aunt. 
I  wrote  in  return,  saying  how  much  I  was  amazed  at  my 
grandmother  telling  such  fibs,  and  proved  to  her  most  satis- 
factorily that  I  was  in  London  at  the  time  they  supposed  I 
might  have  been  at  Chatham. 

That  my  aunt  had  been  requested  by  my  mother  to  try  to 
find  out  the  truth,  I  was  well  convinced  :  but  I  felt  my  secret 
of  too  much  importance  to  trust  either  of  them,  and  from 
that  time  the  subject  was  never  mentioned  ;  and  I  believe  it 
was  at  last  surmised  that  the  letter  might  have  been  de- 
stroyed accidentally  or  purposely  by  the  maid-servant,  and 
that  my  grandmother  had  been  frightened  at  nothing  at  all 
— an  opinion  more  supported,  as  the  maid,  who  had  taken 
advantage  of  my  mother's  retiring  to  her  room,  and  had  been 
out  gossiping,  declared  that  she  had  not  left  the  premises 
three  minutes,  and  not  a  soul  could  have  come  in.  Moreover, 
it  was  so  unlikely  that  I  could  have  been  in  Chatham  without 
being  recognised  by  somebody. 

My  grandmother  shook  her  head,  and  said  nothing  during 
all  this  canvassing  of  the  question ;  but  my  aunt  Milly  de- 
clared that  I  never  would  have  been  at  Chatham  without 
coming  to  see  her.  And  it  was  her  opinion  that  the  servant 
girl  had  read  the  letter  when  left  on  the  table,  and  had 
taken  it  out  to  show  to  her  associates ;  and  somebody  who 
wished  to  have  a  hold  upon  my  mother  by  the  possession  of 
the  letter  had  retained  it. 

I  think  my  mother  came  to  that  opinion  at  last,  and  it  was 
the  source  of  much  uneasiness  to  her.  She  dared  not  say  a 
word  to  Captain  Delmar,  and  every  day  expected  to  have  an 
offer  made  of  returning  the  letter,  upon  a  certain  sum  being 
paid  down.  But  the  offer  was  never  made,  as  the  letter  had 
been  sewed  up  by  Bob  Cross  in  the  piece  of  sealskin,  and 
was  worn  round  my  neck  with  a  ribbon,  with  as  much  care  as 
if  it  had  been  supposed  a  bit  of  the  wood  of  the  true  cross, 
possessed  by  some  old  female  Catholic  devotee. 

But  long  before  all  these  discussions  were  over,  H.M.  ship 
Calliope  had  been  ordered  to  sail,  and  was  steering  down  the 
Channel  before  a  smart  breeze. 

.110 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 


CHAPTER   XVIII 

ALTHOUGH  I  have  so  much  to  say  as  to  oblige  me  to  pass 
over  without  notice  the  majority  of  my  companions,  I  think  I 
ought  to  devote  one  chapter  to  a  more  particular  description 
of  those  with  whom  I  was  now  principally  in  contact  on  board 
of  the  Calliope. 

I  have  already  spoken  much  of  the  Honourable  Captain 
Delmar,  but  I  must  describe  him  more  particularly.  When 
young,  he  must  have  been  a  very  handsome  man  :  even  now, 
although  nearly  fifty  years  of  age,  and  his  hair  and  whiskers 
a  little  mixed  with  grey,  he  was  a  fine-looking  personage,  of 
florid  complexion,  large  blue  eyes,  nose  and  mouth  very 
perfect ;  in  height  he  was  full  six  feet ;  and  he  walked  so 
erect  that  he  looked  even  taller. 

There  was  precision,  I  may  say  dignity,  in  all  his  motions. 
If  he  turned  to  you,  it  was  slowly  and  deliberately  ;  there 
was  nothing  like  rapidity  in  his  movement.  On  the  most 
trifling  occasions,  he  wrapped  himself  up  in  etiquette  with  all 
the  consequence  of  a  Spanish  hidalgo ;  and  showed  in  almost 
every  action  and  every  word  that  he  never  forgot  his 
superiority  of  birth. 

No  one,  except  myself  perhaps,  would  ever  have  thought 
of  taking  a  liberty  with  him ;  for  although  there  was  a 
pomposity  about  him,  at  the  same  time  it  was  the  pomposity 
of  a  high-bred  gentleman,  who  respected  himself,  and  ex- 
pected every  one  to  do  the  same. 

That  sometimes  a  little  mirth  was  occasioned  by  his  extreme 
precision,  is  true ;  but  it  was  whispered,  not  boldly  indulged 
in.  As  to  his  qualities  as  an  officer  and  seaman,  I  shall  only 
say,  that  they  were  considered  more  than  respectable.  Long 
habit  of  command  had  given  him  a  fair  knowledge  of  the 
duties  in  the  first  instance,  and  he  never  condescended 
(indeed,  it  would  have  been  contrary  to  his  character)  to  let 
the  officers  or  seamen  know  whether  he  did  or  did  not  know 
anything  about  the  second. 

As  to  his  moral  character,  I  can  only  say,  that  it  was  very 
difficult  to  ascertain  it.  That  he  would  never  do  that  which 

111 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

was  in  the  slightest  degree  derogatory  to  the  character  of  a 
gentleman  was  most  certain :  but  he  was  so  wrapped  up  in 
exclusiveness,  that  it  was  almost  impossible  to  estimate  his 
feelings.  Occasionally,  I  may  say,  very  rarely,  he  might 
express  them,  but  if  he  did,  it  was  but  for  a  moment,  and  he 
was  again  reserved  as  before. 

That  he  was  selfish,  is  true ;  but  who  is  not  ?  and  those  in 
high  rank  are  still  more  so  than  others,  not  so  much  by 
nature,  but  because  their  self  is  encouraged  by  those  around 
them.  You  could  easily  offend  his  pride ;  but  he  was  above 
being  flattered  in  a  gross  way.  I  really  believe  that  the 
person  in  the  ship  for  whom  he  had  the  least  respect  was 
the  obsequious  Mr.  Culpepper.  Such  was  the  Honourable 
Captain  Delmar. 

Mr.  Hippesley,  the  first  lieutenant,  was  a  broad-shouldered, 
ungainly-looking  personage.  He  had  more  the  appearance 
of  a  master  in  the  service  than  a  first  lieutenant.  He  was  a 
thorough  seaman ;  and  really,  for  a  first  lieutenant,  a  very 
good-natured  man.  All  that  was  requisite,  was  to  allow  his 
momentary  anger  to  have  free  escape  by  the  safety-valve 
of  his  mouth :  if  you  did  not,  an  explosion  was  sure  to  be 
the  result. 

He  was,  as  we  use  the  term  at  sea,  a  regular  ship  husband 
— that  is  to  say,  he  seldom  put  his  foot  on  shore ;  and  if  he 
did,  he  always  appeared  anxious  to  get  on  board  again.  He 
was  on  good  terms,  but  not  familiar,  with  his  messmates,  and 
very  respectful  to  the  captain.  There  was  no  other  officer  in 
the  service  who  would  have  suited  Captain  Delmar  so  well  as 
Mr.  Hippesley,  who,  although  he  might  occasionally  grumble 
at  not  being  promoted,  appeared  on  the  whole  to  be  very 
indifferent  about  the  matter. 

The  men  were  partial  to  him,  as  they  always  are  to  one 
who,  whatever  may  be  his  peculiarities,  is  consistent.  No- 
thing is  more  unpleasant  to  men  than  to  sail  under  a  person 
whom,  to  use  their  own  expression,  "  they  never  know  where 
to  find." 

The  second  and  third  lieutenants,  Mr.  Percival  and  Mr. 
Weymiss,  were  young  men  of  good  family,  and  were  admitted 
to  a  very  slight  degree  of  familiarity  with  Captain  Delmar ; 
they  were  of  gentlemanly  manners,  both  good  seamen,  and 
kind  to  their  inferiors. 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

Mr.  Culpepper,  the  purser,  was  my  abomination — a  nasty, 
earwigging,  flattering,  bowing  old  rogue.  The  master,  Mr. 
Smith,  was  a  very  quiet  man,  plain  and  unoffending,  but 
perfectly  master  of,  and  always  attentive  to,  his  duty. 

The  marine  officer,  Mr.  Tusk,  was  a  nonentity  put  into  a 
red  jacket.  The  surgeon  was  a  tall,  and  very  finicking  sort 
of  gentleman,  as  to  dress ;  but  well  informed,  friendly  in  dis- 
position, and  perfectly  acquainted  with  his  profession. 

My  messmates  were  most  of  them  young  men  of  good  birth, 
with  the  exception  of  Tommy  Dott,  who  was  the  son  of  a 
warrant-officer,  and  Mr.  Green,  whose  father  was  a  bootmaker 
in  London.  I  shall  not,  however,  waste  my  reader's  time 
upon  them  ;  they  will  appear  when  required.  I  shall,  there- 
fore, now  proceed  with  my  narrative. 

It  is  usually  the  custom  for  the  midshipmen  to  take  up 
provisions  and  spirits  beyond  their  allowance,  and  pay  the 
purser  an  extra  sum  for  the  same ;  but  this  Mr.  Culpepper 
would  not  permit — indeed,  he  was  the  most  stingy  and  dis- 
agreeable old  fellow  that  ever  I  met  with  in  the  service. 
We  never  had  dinner  or  grog  enough,  or  even  lights  sufficient 
for  our  wants. 

We  complained  to  the  first  lieutenant,  but  he  was  not  in- 
clined to  assist  us  :  he  said  we  had  our  allowance,  and  it  was 
all  we  could  demand  ;  that  too  much  grog  was  bad  for  us, 
and  as  for  candles,  they  only  made  us  sit  up  late  when 
we  ought  to  be  in  bed ;  he  was,  moreover,  very  strict  about 
the  lights  being  put  out.  This,  however,  was  the  occasion 
of  war  to  the  knife  between  the  midshipmen  and  Mf. 
Culpepper. 

But  it  was  of  no  avail ;  he  would  seldom  trust  his  own 
steward  or  the  mate  of  the  main-deck  ;  whenever  he  could, 
he  superintended  the  serving  out  of  all  provisions  and  mixing 
of  the  grog — no  wonder  that  he  was  said  to  be  a  rich  man. 
The  only  parties  to  whom  he  was  civil  were  Mr.  Hippesley, 
the  first  lieutenant,  and  the  captain ;  both  of  whom  had  the 
power  of  annoying  him,  and  reducing  his  profits. 

To  the  captain  he  was  all  humility :  every  expense  that  he 
required  was,  with  his  proffered  bow,  cheerfully  submitted  to  ; 
but  he  gained  on  the  whole  by  this  apparent  liberality,  as  the 
captain  was  rather  inclined  to  protect  him  in  all  other  points 
of  service,  except  those  connected  with  his  own  comforts  and 

113  H 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

luxuries;  and  many  a  good  job  did  Mr.  Culpepper  get  done 
for  him,  by  humbly  requesting  and  obsequiously  bowing. 

We  had  been  at  sea  for  about  a  week,  and  were  running 
down  towards  the  island  of  Madeira,  which  we  expected  to 
reach  the  next  morning.  Our  destination  was  a  secret,  as 
our  captain  sailed  with  sealed  orders,  to  be  opened  when  off 
that  island. 

The  weather  was  very  fine  and  warm,  and  the  wind  had 
fallen,  when  at  sundown  high  land  was  reported  from  the 
masthead,  at  about  forty  miles  distant.  I  was,  as  on  the 
former  cruise,  signal  midshipman,  and  did  day  duty — that  is, 
I  went  down  with  the  sun,  and  kept  no  night  watch. 

I  had  been  cogitating  how  I  could  play  some  trick  to 
Mr.  Culpepper :  the  midshipmen  had  often  proposed  that  \ve 
should  do  so,  but  I  had  made  up  my  mind  that  whenever  I 
did,  I  would  make  no  confidant.  Tommy  Dott  often  suggested 
an  idea,  but  I  invariably  refused,  as  a  secret  is  only  a  secret 
when  it  is  known  to  one  person  ;  for  that  reason  I  never  con- 
sulted Bob  Cross,  because  I  knew  that  he  would  have  per- 
suaded me  not  to  do  so ;  but  after  anything  was  happily 
executed,  I  then  used  to  confide  in  him. 

I  observed  before  that  Mr.  Culpepper  wore  a  flaxen  wig,  and 
I  felt  sure,  from  his  penuriousness,  that  he  was  not  likely  to 
have  more  than  one  on  board ;  I  therefore  fixed  upon  his  wig 
as  the  object  of  my  vengeance,  and  having  made  up  my  mind 
on  the  night  that  we  made  the  island  of  Madeira,  I  deter- 
mined to  put  my  project  in  execution. 

For  convenience,  the  first  lieutenant  had  a  small  ladder 
which  went  down  through  the  skylight  of  the  gun-room,  so 
that  they  could  descend  direct,  instead  of  going  round  by  the 
after-hatchway,  and  entering  by  the  gun-room  doors,  where 
the  sentry  was  placed. 

I  went  to  my  hammock,  and  slept  till  the  middle  watch 
was  called ;  I  then  got  up  and  dressed  myself  without  being 
perceived. 

As  soon  as  the  lieutenant  of  the  middle  watch  had  been 
called  by  the  mate,  who  lighted  his  candle  and  left  him  to 
dress  himself,  I  came  up  by  the  after-ladder,  and,  watching 
an  opportunity  when  the  sentry  at  the  captain's  cabin  door 
had  walked  forward,  I  softly  descended  by  the  skylight  ladder 
into  the  gun-room. 

114 


PERCIVAL  KEEN£ 

The  light  in  the  cabin  of  the  lieutenant,  who  was  dressing, 
was  quite  sufficient,  and  the  heat  of  the  weather  was  so  great, 
that  all  the  officers  slept  with  their  cabin  doors  fastened  back, 
for  ventilation  ;  I  had,  therefore,  no  difficulty  in  putting  my 
hand  on  the  purser's  wig,  with  which  I  escaped  unperceived, 
and  immediately  turned  in  again  to  my  hammopk,  to  consider 
what  I  should  do  with  my  prize. 

Should  I  throw  it  overboard  ?  should  I  stuff  it  down  the 
pump-well,  or  slip  it  into  the  ship's  coppers,  that  it  might 
reappear  when  the  pea-soup  was  baled  out  for  dinner  ?  or 
should  I  put  it  into  the  manger  forward,  where  the  pigs 
were  ? 

In  the  meantime,  while  I  was  considering  the  matter,  the 
midshipman  of  the  first  watch  came  down  and  turned  in,  and 
all  was  again  quiet,  except  an  occasional  nasal  melody  from 
some  heavy  sleeper. 

At  last,  quite  undecided,  I  peeped  through  the  clues  of  my 
hammock,  to  see  what  the  sentry  at  the  gun-room  door  was 
about,  and  found  that  he  had  sat  down  on  a  chest,  and  was 
fast  asleep.  I  knew  immediately  that  the  man  was  in  my 
power,  and  I  did  not  fear  him,  and  then  it  was  that  the  idea 
came  into  my  head,  that  I  would  singe  the  purser's  wig.  I 
went  softly  to  the  sentry's  light,  took  it  from  the  hook,  and 
went  down  with  it  into  the  cockpit,  as  being  the  best  place 
for  carrying  on  my  operations.  The  wig  was  very  greasy, 
and  every  curl,  as  I  held  it  in  the  candle,  flared  up,  and 
burned  beautifully  to  within  a  quarter  of  an  inch  of  the  caul. 

It  was  soon  done,  and  I  replaced  the  sentry's  light ;  and 
finding  that  the  gun-room  door  was  ajar,  I  went  in  softly  and 
replaced  the  wig  where  I  had  taken  it  from,  repassed  the 
sentry,  who  was  still  fast  asleep,  and  regained  my  hammock, 
intending  to  undress  myself  in  it.  But  I  had  quite  forgotten 
one  thing  (I  was  soon  reminded  of  it) — I  heard  the  voice  of 
the  officer  of  the  watch,  calling  out  to  the  sentry  at  the 
cabin  door — 

"  Sentry,  what's  that  smell  of  burning  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know,  sir,"  replied  the  sentry  ;  "  I  was  just  think- 
ing of  going  forward  for  the  ship's  corporal." 

The  smell,  which  gradually  ascended  from  the  cockpit,  now 
spread  from  deck  to  deck,  and  became  stronger  and  stronger. 
The  gunroom-door  sentry  jumped  up  at  the  voice  of  the  lieu- 

115 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

tenant,  and  called  out  that  there  was  a  very  strong  smell 
in  the  cockpit.  The  lieutenant  and  mate  of  the  watch 
came  down,  and  it  was  immediately  supposed  that  the 
spirit-room  had  caught  fire,  for  the  smell  was  really  very 
powerful. 

The  first  lieutenant,  who  had  wakened  up  at  the  voices, 
was  out  in  a  minute ;  he  put  his  head  over  the  cockpit,  and 
ordering  the  officer  of  the  watch  to  call  the  drummer,  and 
beat  to  quarters,  ran  up  to  inform  the  captain. 

The  drummer  was  out  in  a  moment,  and,  seizing  his  drum, 
which  hung  up  by  the  mainmast,  ran  up  in  his  shirt  and  beat 
the  tattoo. 

The  whole  ship's  company  rose  up  at  the  sound,  which 
they  knew  was  the  signal  for  something  important ;  and  the 
beat  of  the  drum  was  followed  up  by  the  shrill  piping  of  the 
boatswain's  mates  at  each  hatchway. 

At  that  moment,  some  frightened  man  belonging  to  the 
watch  cried  out  that  the  ship  was  on  fire,  and  the  lower  decks 
were  immediately  a  scene  of  bustle  and  confusion. 

Perhaps  there  is  nothing  more  awful  than  the  alarm  of  fire 
at  sea ;  the  feeling  that  there  is  no  escape — the  only  choice 
being  by  which  element,  fire  or  water,  you  choose  to  perish. 
But  if  it  is  awful  in  daylight,  how  much  more  so  is  it  to  be 
summoned  up  to  await  such  peril  when  you  have  been  sleep- 
ing in  fancied  security. 

The  captain  had  hurried  on  his  clothes,  and  stood  on  the 
quarter-deck.  He  was  apparently  calm  and  collected ;  but, 
as  usual,  the  first  lieutenant  carried  on  the  duty,  and  well  he 
did  it. 

"  Where's  the  gunner  ?  Mr.  Hutt,  bring  up  the  keys  from 
my  cabin,  and  have  all  ready  for  clearing  the  magazines  if 
required.  Firemen,  get  your  buckets  to  bear;  carpenters, 
rig  the  pumps.  Silence  there,  fore  and  aft." 

But  the  confusion  became  very  great,  and  there  evidently 
was  a  panic.  The  captain  then  interposed,  calling  out  to  the 
boatswain  and  his  mates  to  send  every  man  aft  on  the  quarter- 
deck. 

This  order  was  obeyed ;  the  men  came  thronging  like  a 
flock  of  sheep,  huddling  together  and  breathless. 

"  Silence  there,  my  men,"  cried  Captain  Delmar — "  silence, 
.1  say ;  is  this  the  conduct  of  men-of-war' s-men  ?  Every  man 

116 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

of  you  sit  down  on  deck — pass  the  word  there  for  every  man 
to  sit  down." 

The  order  was  mechanically  obeyed,  and  as  soon  as  the 
ship's  company  were  all  seated,  the  captain  said — 

"  I  tell  you  what,  my  lads,  I'm  ashamed  of  you  :  the  way 
to  put  out  a  fire  is  to  be  cool  and  calm,  obeying  orders  and 
keeping  silence.  Now  collect  yourselves  all  of  you,  for  until 
you  are  all  quiet  and  cool,  you  will  sit  where  you  are." 

After  a  pause  of  a  few  seconds — 

"  Now,  my  men,  are  you  more  steady  ?  Recollect,  be  cool 
and  keep  silence.  Carpenter,  are  the  pumps  rigged  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir,"  replied  the  carpenter. 

"  Now,  firemen,  go  for  your  buckets ;  let  nobody  else  move. 
Silence — not  a  word  :  three  foremast  guns  main-deck,  to  your 
quarters.  Silence  and  quiet,  if  you  please.  Now,  are  you  all 
steady — then,  go  to  your  quarters,  my  men,  and  wait  for 
orders." 

It  was  astonishing  how  collected  the  ship's  company  became 
by  the  judicious  conduct  of  the  captain,  who  now  continued  to 
command.  When  the  men  had  gone  down  to  their  stations, 
he  directed  the  two  junior  lieutenants  to  go  and  examine 
where  the  fire  was,  and  to  be  careful  not  to  lift  the  hatches 
if  they  discovered  that  it  was  in  the  spirit-room. 

I  had  been  on  the  quarter-deck  some  time,  and  being 
aware  of  the  cause,  of  course  was  not  at  all  alarmed ;  and  I 
had  exerted  myself  very  assiduously  in  keeping  the  men  cool 
and  quiet,  shoving  the  men  down  who  were  unwilling  to  sit 
down  on  the  deck,  and  even  using  them  very  roughly ; 
showing  a  great  deal  more  sangfroid  than  any  other  of  the 
officers,  which  of  course  was  not  to  be  wondered  at. 

Mr.  Culpepper,  who  was  most  terribly  alarmed,  had  come 
up  on  deck,  and  stood  trembling  close  to  the  side  of  the 
captain  and  first  lieutenant.  He  had  pulled  on  his  wig  with- 
out discovering  that  it  had  been  burnt,  and  as  I  passed  him, 
the  burnt  smell  was  very  strong  indeed ;  so  thought  the 
captain  and  the  first  lieutenant,  who  were  waiting  the  return 
of  the  officers. 

"  I  smell  the  fire  very  strong  just  now,"  said  the  captain 
to  the  first  lieutenant. 

"  Yes,  sir,  every  now  and  then  it  is  very  strong,"  replied 
the  first  lieutenant. 

117 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

The  purser's  wig  was  just  between  them, — no  wonder  that 
they  smelt  it.  After  two  or  three  minutes  the  officers  came 
up,  and  reported  that  they  could  discover  no  fire,  and  that 
there  was  very  little  smell  of  fire  down  below. 

"  And  yet  I  smell  it  now,"  said  Captain  Delmar. 

"  So  do  I,  sir,"  said  the  second  lieutenant ;  "  and  it  really 
smells  stronger  on  deck  than  it  does  down  below." 

"  It  is  very  odd  ;  let  them  continue  the  search." 

The  search  was  continued ;  the  first  lieutenant  now  going 
down,  and  after  a  time  they  said  that  the  strongest  smell  was 
from  the  purser's  cabin. 

"  Mr.  Culpepper,  they  say  the  smell  is  in  your  cabin,"  said 
Captain  Delmar.  "  Go  down,  if  you  please  ;  they  may  want  to 
open  your  lockers." 

Mr.  Culpepper,  who  still  trembled  like  an  aspen,  went  down 
the  ladder,  and  I  followed  him  ;  but  in  descending  the  second 
ladder  his  foot  slipped,  and  he  fell  down  the  hatchway  to  the 
lower  deck. 

I  hastened  down  after  him  ;  he  was  stunned,  and  I  thought 
this  a  good  opportunity  to  pull  off  his  wig,  which  I  did  very 
dexterously,  and  concealed  it.  He  was  taken  into  the  gun- 
room, and  the  surgeon  called,  while  I  walked  up  on  deck,  and 
quietly  dropped  the  wig  overboard  at  the  gangway. 

My  reason  for  doing  this  was,  that  having  no  idea  that  my 
trick  would  have  created  so  much  confusion,  and  have  turned 
up  the  officers  and  men  as  it  did,  I  thought  that  the  purser's 
wig  would,  the  next  morning,  account  for  the  smell  of  fire, 
and  an  investigation  take  place,  which,  although  it  might 
not  lead  to  discovery,  would  certainly  lead  to  suspicion ;  so 
the  wig  was  now  floating  away,  and  with  the  wig  went  away 
all  evidence. 

After  a  search  of  nearly  half-an-hour,  nothing  was  dis- 
covered ;  the  drummer  was  ordered  to  beat  the  retreat,  and 
all  was  quiet  again. 

I  went  to  bed  quite  satisfied  with  the  events  of  the  night,  and 
slept  the  sleep  of  innocence — at  least  I  slept  just  as  soundly. 

This  mysterious  affair  ever  remained  a  mystery :  the  only 
loss  was  the  purser's  wig;  but  that  was  nothing,  as  Mr. 
Culpepper  acknowledged  that  he  did  not  know  himself  what 
he  was  about,  and,  for  all  he  knew  to  the  contrary,  he  might 
have  thrown  it  overboard. 

118 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

My  conduct  on  this  occasion  again  gained  me  great  credit. 
It  had  been  remarked  by  the  captain  and  officers,  and  I  rose 
in  estimation.  How  I  might  have  behaved  had  I  really 
supposed  that  the  ship  was  on  fire,  is  quite  another  affair — 
I  presume  not  quite  so  fearlessly.  As  it  was,  I  was  resolved 
to  take  all  the  credit  given  to  me,  and  for  that  reason  it  was 
not  till  a  long  while  afterwards  that  I  hinted  the  secret  even 
to  Bob  Cross. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

J.  HE  next  morning,  when  we  arrived  at  Funchal,  we  found 
that  our  orders  were  for  the  West  Indies  ;  we  stayed  one  day 
to  take  in  wine,  and  then  hove  up  the  anchor,  and  went  on 
to  our  destination.  We  soon  got  into  the  trades,  and  run 
them  fast  down  till  we  arrived  at  Carlisle  Bay,  Barbadoes, 
where  we  found  the  admiral,  and  delivered  our  despatches. 
We  were  ordered  to  water  and  complete  as  soon  as  possible, 
as  we  were  to  be  sent  on  a  cruise. 

Tommy  Dott,  my  quondam  ally,  was  in  disgrace.  He  had 
several  times  during  the  cruise  proposed  that  I  should  join 
him  in  several  plots  of  mischief,  but  1  refused,  as  I  did  not 
consider  them  quite  safe. 

"  You  are  not  the  keen  fellow  I  thought  you  were,"  said 
he ;  "  you  are  up  to  nothing  now ;  there's  no  fun  in  you,  as 
there  used  to  be." 

He  was  mistaken ;  there  was  fun  in  me,  but  there  was  also 
prudence,  and  from  what  I  had  latterly  seen  of  Tommy  Dott, 
I  did  not  think  he  was  to  be  trusted. 

The  day  after  we  anchored  at  Carlisle  Bay,  Tommy  came 
to  me  and  said,  "Old  Culpepper  serves  out  plums  and  suet 
this  afternoon ;  I  heard  him  tell  the  steward.  Now,  I  think 
we  may  manage  to  get  some — I  never  saw  better  plums  on 
board  of  a  ship." 

"  Well,"  said  I,  "  I  like  raisins  as  well  as  you  do,  Tommy 
— but  what  is  your  plan  ?  " 

"  Why,  I've  got  my  squirt,  and  old  Culpepper  never  lights 
more  than  one  of  his  purser's  dips  (small  candles)  in  the 
steward's  room.  I'll  get  down  in  the  cockpit  in  the  dark, 

119 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

and  squirt  at  the  candle — the  water  will  put  it  out,  and  he'll 
send  the  steward  for  another  light,  and  then  I'll  try  and 
get  some." 

It  was  not  a  bad  plan,  but  still  I  refused  to  join  in  it,  as  it 
was  only  the  work  of  one  person,  and  not  two.  I  pointed 
that  out  to  him,  and  he  agreed  with  me,  saying  that  he  would 
do  it  himself. 

When  Mr.  Cul  pepper  went  down  into  the  steward's  room, 
Tommy  reconnoitred,  and  then  came  into  the  berth  and  filled 
his  squirt. 

Although  I  would  not  join  him,  I  thought  I  might  as  well 
see  what  was  going  on,  and  therefore  descended  the  cockpit 
ladder  soon  after  Tommy,  keeping  out  of  the  way  in  the  fore- 
most part  of  the  cockpit,  where  it  was  quite  dark. 

Tommy  directed  his  squirt  very  dexterously,  hit  the  lighted 
wick  of  the  solitary  candle,  which  fizzed,  sputtered,  and 
finally  gave  up  the  ghost. 

"  Bless  me  !  "  said  Mr.  Culpepper,  "  what  can  that  be  ?  " 

"  A  leak  from  the  seams  above,  I  suppose,"  said  the 
steward ;  "  I  will  go  to  the  galley  for  another  light." 

"Yes,  yes,  be  quick,"  said  Mr.  Culpepper,  who  remained 
in  the  steward's  room  in  the  dark,  until  the  return  of  the 
steward. 

Tommy  Dott  then  slipped  in  softly,  and  commenced  filling 
all  his  pockets  with  the  raisins ;  he  had  nearly  taken  in  his 
full  cargo,  when,  somehow  or  another,  Mr.  Culpepper  stepped 
forward  from  where  he  stood,  and  he  touched  Tommy,  whom 
he  immediately  seized,  crying  out,  "  Thieves  !  thieves  ! — call 
the  sentry  ! — sentry,  come  here." 

The  sentry  of  the  gun-room  door  went  down  the  ladder  as 
Mr.  Culpepper  dragged  out  Tommy,  holding  him  fast  by  both 
hands. 

"  Take  him,  sentry — take  him  in  charge.  Call  the  master- 
at-arms — little  thief.  Mr.  Dott !  Hah — well,  we'll  see." 

The  consequence  was,  that  Mr.  Tommy  Dott  was  handed 
from  the  sentry  to  the  master-at-arms,  and  taken  up  on  the 
quarter-deck,  followed  by  Mr.  Culpepper  and  his  steward. 

There  was  no  defence  or  excuse  to  be  made  ;  the  pockets  of 
his  jacket  and  of  his  trousers  were  stuffed  with  raisins ;  and 
at  the  bottom  of  his  pocket,  when  they  were  emptied  by  the 
master-at-arms,  was  found  the  squirt. 

120 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

As  soon  as  the  hue  and  cry  was  over,  and  all  the  parties 
were  on  the  quarter-deck,  as  the  coast  was  clear,  I  thought  I 
might  as  well  take  advantage  of  it ;  and  therefore  I  came  out 
from  my  hiding-place,  went  into  the  steward's  room,  filled  my 
handkerchief  with  raisins,  and  escaped  to  the  berth  unper- 
ceived.  So  that  while  Tommy  Dott  was  disgorging  on  the 
quarter-deck,  I  was  gorging  below. 

Mr.  Dott  was  reported  to  the  captain  for  this  heinous 
offence,  and,  in  consequence,  was  ordered  below  under  arrest, 
his  place  in  the  captain's  gig  being  filled  up  by  me ;  so  that 
in  every  point  of  view  Tommy  suffered,  and  I  reaped  the 
harvest.  What  pleased  me  most  was,  that,  being  midship- 
man of  the  captain's  boat,  I  was  of  course  continually  in  the 
company  of  the  coxswain,  Bob  Cross. 

But  I  must  not  delay  at  present,  as  I  have  to  record 
a  very  serious  adventure  which  occurred,  and  by  which  I, 
for  a  long  while,  was  separated  from  my  companions  and 
shipmates. 

In  ten  days  we  sailed  in  search  of  a  pirate  vessel,  which 
was  reported  to  have  committed  many  dreadful  excesses, 
and  had  become  the  terror  of  the  mercantile  navy.  Our 
orders  were  to  proceed  northward,  and  to  cruise  off  the 
Virgin  Islands,  near  which  she  was  said  to  have  been  last 
seen. 

About  three  weeks  after  we  had  left  Carlisle  Bay,  the  look- 
out man  reported  two  strange  sail  from  the  mast-head.  I 
was  sent  up,  as  signal  mid,  to  examine  them,  and  found 
that  they  were  both  schooners,  hove  to  close  together ;  one 
of  them  very  rakish  in  her  appearance.  All  sail  in  chase 
was  made  immediately,  and  we  came  up  within  three  miles 
of  them,  when  one,  evidently  the  pirate  we  were  in  search 
of,  made  sail,  while  the  other  remained  hove  to. 

As  we  passed  the  vessel  hove  to,  which  we  took  it  for 
granted  was  a  merchantman,  which  the  pirate  had  been 
plundering,  the  captain  ordered  one  of  the  cutters  to  be 
lowered  down  with  a  midshipman  and  boat's  crew  to  take 
possession  of  her.  The  men  were  all  in  the  boat,  but  the 
midshipman  had  gone  down  for  his  spyglass,  or  something 
else ;  and  as  it  was  merely  with  a  view  of  ascertaining 
what  the  vessel  was,  and  the  chief  object  was  to  overtake 
the  pirate  vessel,  to  prevent  the  delay  which  was  caused 

121 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

by  the  other  midshipman  not  being  ready,  Mr.  Hippesley 
ordered  me  to  go  into  the  boat  instead  of  him,  and  as  soon 
as  I  was  on  board  of  the  schooner,  to  make  sail  and  follow 
the  frigate. 

The  captain  did  say,  "  He  is  too  young,  Mr.  Hippesley ;  is 
he  not  ?  " 

"  I'd  sooner  trust  him  than  many  older,  sir,"  was  the 
reply  of  the  first  lieutenant.  "Jump  in,  Mr.  Keene."  I 
did  so,  with  my  telescope  in  my  hand.  "Lower  away,  my 
lads — unhook,  and  sheer  off;"  and  away  went  the  frigate  in 
pursuit  of  the  pirate  vessel,  leaving  me  in  the  boat,  to  go 
on  board  of  the  schooner. 

We  were  soon  alongside,  and  found  that  there  was  not  a 
soul  on  board  of  the  vessel ;  what  had  become  of  the  crew, 
whether  they  had  been  murdered  or  not,  it  was  impossible 
to  say,  but  there  were  a  few  drops  of  blood  on  the  deck. 

The  vessel  was  an  American,  bound  to  one  of  the  islands, 
with  shingle  and  fir  planks ;  not  only  was  her  hold  full, 
but  the  fir  planks  were  piled  up  on  each  side  of  the  deck, 
between  the  masts,  to  the  height  of  five  or  six  feet.  The 
pirate  had,  apparently,  been  taking  some  of  the  planks  on 
board  for  her  own  use. 

We  dropped  the  boat  astern,  let  draw  the  foresheet,  and 
made  sail  after  the  frigate,  which  was  now  more  than  a  mile 
from  us,  and  leaving  us  very  fast. 

The  schooner  was  so  overloaded  that  she  sailed  very  badly, 
and  before  the  evening  closed  in,  we  could  just  perceive  the 
top-gallant  sails  of  the  Calliope  above  the  horizon ;  but  this 
we  thought  little  of,  as  we  knew  that  as  soon  as  she  had 
captured  the  pirate  she  would  run  back  again,  and  take 
us  out. 

There  were  some  hams  and  other  articles  on  board,  for  the 
pirates  had  not  taken  everything,  although  the  lockers  had 
been  all  broken  open,  and  the  articles  were  strewed  about 
in  every  direction  in  the  cabin  and  on  the  deck. 

Just  before  dark,  we  took  the  bearings  of  the  frigate,  and 
stood  the  same  course  as  she  was  doing,  and  then  we  sat 
down  to  a  plentiful  meal,  to  which  we  did  justice.  I  then 
divided  the  boat's  crew  into  watches,  went  down  into  the 
cabin,  and  threw  myself  on  the  standing  bed-place,  of  which 
there  was  but  one,  with  all  my  clothes  on ;  the  men  who  had 

122 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

not  the  watch  went  down,  and  turned  in  in  the  cuddy  forward, 
where  the  seamen  usually  sleep. 

It  was  not  till  past  midnight  that  I  could  obtain  any  sleep  ; 
the  heat  was  excessive,  and  I  was  teased  by  the  cockroaches, 
which  appeared  to  swarm  in  the  cabin  to  an  incredible  de- 
gree, and  were  constantly  running  over  my  face  and  body. 
I  little  thought  then  why  they  swarmed.  I  recollect  that  I 
dreamt  of  murder,  and  tossing  men  overboard,  and  then  of 
the  vessel  being  on  fire ;  and  after  that,  I  felt  very  cool  and 
comfortable,  and  I  dreamed  no  more.  I  thought  that  I  heard 
a  voice  calling  my  name ;  it  appeared  that  I  did  hear  it  in 
my  sleep,  but  I  slept  on. 

At  last  I  turned  round,  and  felt  a  splashing  as  of  water,  and 
some  water  coming  into  my  mouth  ;  I  awoke.  All  was  dark 
and  quiet ;  I  put  my  hand  out,  and  I  put  it  into  the  water — 
where  was  I — was  I  overboard  ?  I  jumped  up  in  my  fright ; 
I  found  that  I  was  still  on  the  standing  bed-place,  but  the 
water  was  above  the  mattress. 

I  immediately  comprehended  that  the  vessel  was  sinking, 
and  I  called  out,  but  there  was  no  reply. 

I  turned  out  of  the  bed-place,  and  found  myself  up  to  my 
neck  in  water,  with  my  feet  on  the  cabin-deck.  Half  swim- 
ming and  half  floundering,  I  gained  the  ladder  and  went 
up  the  hatchway. 

It  was  still  quite  dark,  and  I  could  not  perceive  nor  hear 
anybody.  I  called  out,  but  there  was  no  reply.  I  then  was 
certain  that  the  men  had  left  the  vessel  when  they  found 
her  sinking,  and  had  left  me  to  sink  with  her.  I  may  as 
well  here  observe,  that  when  the  men  had  found  the  water 
rising  upon  them  forward,  they  had  rushed  on  deck  in  a 
panic,  telling  the  man  at  the  wheel  that  the  vessel  was  sink- 
ing, and  had  immediately  hauled  up  the  boat  to  save  their 
lives ;  but  they  did  recollect  me,  and  the  coxswain  of  the 
boat  had  come  down  in  the  cabin  by  the  ladder,  and  called 
me.  But  the  cabin  was  full  of  water,  and  he  receiving  no 
answer,  considered  that  I  was  drowned,  and  returned  on 
deck. 

The  boat  had  then  shoved  off,  and  I  was  left  to  my  fate  ; 
still  I  hoped  such  was  not  the  case,  and  I  hallooed  again  and 
again,  but  in  vain,  and  I  thought  it  was  all  over  with  me. 
It  was  a  dreadful  position  to  be  in.  I  said  my  prayers  and 

123 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

prepared  to  die,  and  yet  I  thought  it  was  hard  to  die  at 
fifteen  years  old. 

Although  I  do  not  consider  that  my  prayers  were  of  much 
efficacy,  for  there  was  but  little  resignation  in  them,  praying 
had  one  good  effect — it  composed  me,  and  I  began  to  think 
whether  there  was  any  chance  of  being  saved. 

Yes,  there  were  plenty  of  planks  on  the  deck,  and  if  it 
were  daylight  I  could  tie  them  together  and  make  a  raft, 
which  would  bear  me  up.  How  I  longed  for  daylight,  for  I 
was  afraid  that  the  vessel  would  sink  before  I  could  see  to 
do  what  was  requisite.  The  wind  had  become  much  fresher 
during  the  night,  and  the  waves  now  dashed  against  the 
sides  of  the  water-logged  vessel. 

As  I  watched  for  daylight,  I  began  to  reflect  how  this 
could  have  happened ;  and  it  occurred  to  me  that  the  pirates 
had  scuttled  the  bottom  of  the  vessel  to  sink  her ;  and  in 
this  conjecture  I  was  right. 

At  last  a  faint  light  appeared  in  the  east,  which  soon 
broke  into  broad  day,  and  I  lost  no  time  in  setting  about 
my  work. 

Before  I  began,  however,  I  thought  it  advisable  to  ascer- 
tain how  much  more  water  there  was  in  the  vessel  since  I 
had  quitted  the  cabin,  which  it  appeared  to  me  must  have 
been  about  two  hours.  I  therefore  went  down  in  the  cabin 
to  measure  it.  I  knew  how  high  it  was  when  I  waded 
through  it.  I  found,  to  my  surprise,  and,  I  may  say,  to  my 
joy,  that  it  was  not  higher  than  it  was  before. 

I  thought  that  perhaps  I  might  be  mistaken,  so  I  marked 
the  height  of  the  water  at  the  cabin  ladder,  and  I  sat  down 
on  deck  to  watch  it;  it  appeared  to  me  not  to  rise  any 
higher. 

This  made  me  reflect,  and  it  then  struck  me  that,  as  the 
vessel  was  laden  with  timber,  she  would  not  probably  sink 
any  lower,  so  I  deferred  my  work  till  I  had  ascertained 
the  fact. 

Three  hours  did  I  watch,  and  found  that  the  water  did  not 
rise  higher,  and  I  was  satisfied ;  but  the  wind  increased,  and 
the  vessel's  sails,  instead  of  flapping  to  the  wind  as  she  drove 
without  any  one  at  the  helm,  were  now  bellied  out,  and  the 
vessel  careened  to  leeward. 

I  was  afraid  that  she  would  turn  over ;  and  finding  an  axe 

124 


on  the  deck,  I  mounted  the  rigging  with  it,  and  commenced 
cutting  away  the  lacing  of  the  sails  from  the  mast.  I  then 
lowered  the  gaffs,  and  cleared  away  the  canvas  in  the  same 
way,  so  that  the  sails  fell  on  the  deck.  This  was  a  work  of 
at  least  one  hour ;  but  when  the  canvas  was  off,  the  vessel 
was  steady. 

It  was  well  that  I  had  taken  this  precaution ;  for  very 
soon  afterwards  the  wind  was  much  fresher,  and  the  weather 
appeared  very  threatening ;  the  sea  also  rose  considerably. 
I  was  very  tired,  and  sat  down  for  some  time  on  the  deck 
abaft. 

It  then  occurred  to  me  that  the  weight  of  the  planks  upon 
the  deck  must  not  only  keep  the  vessel  deeper  in  the  water, 
but  make  her  more  top-heavy,  and  I  determined  to  throw 
them  overboard ;  but  first  I  looked  for  something  to  eat, 
and  found  plenty  of  victuals  in  the  iron  pot  in  which  the 
men  had  cooked  their  supper  the  night  before. 

As  soon  as  I  had  obtained  from  the  cask  lashed  on  the 
deck  a  drink  of  water,  to  wash  down  the  cold  fried  ham 
which  I  had  eaten,  I  set  to  work  to  throw  overboard  the 
planks  on  deck. 

When  I  had  thrown  over  a  portion  from  one  side,  I  went 
to  the  other  and  threw  over  as  many  more,  that  I  might, 
as  much  as  possible,  keep  the  vessel  on  an  even  keel. 

This  job  occupied  me  the  whole  of  the  day  ;  and  when  I 
had  completed  my  task  I  examined  the  height  of  the  water 
at  the  cabin  ladder,  and  found  that  the  vessel  had  risen  more 
than  six  inches.  This  was  a  source  of  great  comfort  to  me  ; 
and  what  pleased  me  more  was,  that  the  wind  had  gone 
down  again,  and  the  water  was  much  smoother. 

I  made  a  supper  of  some  raw  ham,  for  the  fire  had  been 
extinguished,  and  committing  myself  to  the  protection  of 
Heaven,  I  lay  down  as  the  sun  set,  and  from  the  fatigue  of 
the  day  was  soon  in  a  sound  sleep. 

I  awoke  about  the  middle  of  the  night ;  the  stars  shone 
brightly,  and  there  was  but  a  slight  ripple  on  the  water. 

I  thought  of  my  mother,  of  my  aunt  Milly,  of  Captain 
Delmar,  and  I  felt  for  the  sealskin  pouch  which  was  fastened 
round  my  neck.  It  was  all  safe. 

I  calculated  chances,  and  I  made  up  my  mind  that  I 
should  be  picked  up  by  some  vessel  or  another  before  long. 

125 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

I  said  to  myself — "  Why,  I  am  better  off  now  than  I  was 
when  in  the  wherry  with  Peggy  Pearson ;  I  was  saved  then, 
why  should  I  not  be  now  ?  " 

I  felt  no  desponding,  and  lay  down,  and  was  soon  fast 
asleep  again. 

It  was  broad  daylight  when  I  awoke ;  I  took  my  spyglass, 
and  looking  round  the  horizon,  discovered  a  vessel  several 
miles  off,  standing  towards  me.  This  gave  me  fresh  spirits. 

I  made  a  raw  breakfast,  and  drank  plenty  of  water  as 
before.  The  wind,  which  was  very  light,  increased  a  little. 
The  vessel  came  nearer,  and  I  made  her  out  to  be  a  schooner. 
In  two  hours  she  was  close  to  me,  and  I  waved  my  hat,  and 
hallooed  as  loud  as  I  could. 

The  schooner  was  full  of  men,  and  steered  close  to  me ; 
she  was  a  beautiful  craft,  and,  although  the  wind  was  so 
light,  glided  very  fast  through  the  water,  and  I  could  not 
help  thinking  that  she  was  the  pirate  vessel  which  the 
frigate  had  been  in  chase  of. 

It  appeared  as  if  they  intended  to  pass  me,  and  I  hallooed, 
"  Schooner,  ahoy  !  Why  don't  you  send  a  boat  on  board  ?  " 

I  must  say,  that  when  the  idea  struck  me  that  she  was  a 
pirate  vessel,  my  heart  almost  failed  me. 

Shortly  afterwards  the  schooner  rounded  to  and  lowered  a 
boat,  which  pulled  to  the  vessel.  The  boat's  crew  were  all 
negroes. 

One  of  them  said,  "Jump  in,  you  white  boy;  next  jump 
he  take  be  into  the  shark's  mouth,"  continued  the  man, 
grinning,  as  he  addressed  himself  to  the  others  in  the  boat. 

I  got  into  the  boat,  and  they  rowed  on  board  the  schooner. 
I  did  then  think  that  I  was  done  for ;  for  what  mercy  could 
I  expect,  being  a  king's  officer,  from  pirates,  which  the 
words  of  the  negro  convinced  me  they  were  ? 

As  soon  as  I  was  alongside  of  the  schooner,  they  oidered 
me  to  go  up  the  side,  which  I  did,  with  my  spyglass  in  my 
hand.  I  leaped  from  the  gunwale  down  on  the  deck,  and 
found  myself  on  board  an  armed  vessel,  with  a  crew  wholly 
composed  of  blacks. 

I  was  rudely  seized  by  two  of  them,  who  led  me  aft  to 
where  a  negro  stood  apart  from  the  rest.  A  more  fierce,  severe, 
determined-looking  countenance  I  never  beheld.  He  was 
gigantic  in  stature,  and  limbed  like  the  Farnesian  Hercules. 

126 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

"  Well,  boy,  who  are  you  ?  "  said  he,  "  and  how  came  you 
on  board  of  that  vessel  ?  " 

I  told  him  in  very  few  words. 

"  Then  you  belong  to  that  frigate  that  chased  us  the  day 
before  yesterday  ?  " 

"Yes,"  replied  I. 

'  What  is  her  name  ?  " 

'  The  Calliope." 

'  She  sails  well/'  said  he. 

'  Yes,"  replied  I ;  "she  is  the  fastest  sailer  on  this  station." 

'  That's  all  the  information  I  want  of  you,  boy ;  now  you 
may  go." 

"  Go  where  ?  "  replied  I. 

"  Go  where  ? — go  overboard,  to  be  sure,"  replied  he,  with 
a  grin. 

My  heart  died  within  me ;  but  I  mustered  courage  enough 
to  say,  "  Much  obliged  to  you,  sir ;  but  I'd  rather  stay  where 
I  am,  if  it's  .ill  the  same  to  you." 

The  other  negroes  laughed  at  this  reply,  and  I  felt  a  little 
confidence  ;  at  all  events,  their  good-humour  gave  me  courage, 
and  I  felt  that  being  bold  was  my  only  chance. 

The  negro  captain  looked  at  me  for  a  time,  as  if  consider- 
ing, and  at  last  said  to  the  men,  "Overboard  with  him." 

"  Good-bye,  sir ;  you're  very  kind,"  said  I ;  "  but  this  is  a 
capital  spyglass,  and  I  leave  it  to  you  as  a  legacy."  And  I 
went  up  to  him  and  offered  him  my  spyglass.  Merciful 
Heaven !  how  my  heart  beat  against  my  ribs  when  I  did 
this. 

The  negro  captain  took  the  glass,  and  looked  through  it. 

"  It  is  a  good  glass,"  said  he,  as  he  removed  it  from  his 
eyes.  It  was  poor  Green's  spyglass,  which  he  had  given  me 
for  showing  him  the  mason's  signs. 

"  Well,  white  boy,  I  accept  your  present ;  and  now,  good- 
bye." 

"  Good-bye,  sir.  Do  me  one  kindness  in  return,"  said  I 
veiy  gravely,  for  I  felt  my  hour  was  come. 

"  And  what  is  that  ?  "  replied  the  negro. 

"  Tie  a  shot  to  my  heels,  that  I  may  sink  quickly ;  it  won't 
take  them  long." 

"  You  don't  ask  me  to  spare  your  life,  then  ?  "  replied  the 
negro. 

127 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

"  He  de  very  first  white  dat  not  ask  it,"  said  one  of  the 
negroes. 

"  Dat  really  for  true/'  said  another. 

"  Yes,  by  gum,"  replied  a  third. 

Oh,  how  I  wished  to  know  what  to  say  at  that  moment ! 
The  observations  of  the  negroes  made  me  imagine  that  I  had 
better  not  ask  for  it ;  and  yet  how  I  clung  to  life  !  It  was 
an  awful  moment — I  felt  as  if  I  had  lived  a  year  in  a  few 
minutes.  For  a  second  or  two  I  felt  faint  and  giddy — I  drew 
a  long  breath  and  revived. 

"You  don't  answer  me,  boy,"  said  the  negro  captain. 

"  Why  should  I  ask  when  I  feel  certain  to  be  refused  ?  If 
you  will  give  me  my  life,  I  will  thank  you ;  I  don't  particu- 
larly wish  to  die,  I  can  assure  you." 

"  I  have  taken  an  oath  never  to  spare  a  white  man.  For 
once  I  am  sorry  that  I  cannot  break  my  oath." 

"  If  that  is  all,  I  am  a  boy,  and  not  a  man,"  replied  L 
"  Keep  me  till  I  grow  bigger." 

"  By  golly,  captain,  that  very  well  said.  Keep  him,  cap- 
tain," said  one  of  the  negroes. 

"  Yes,  captain,"  replied  another ;  "  keep  him  to  tend  your 
cabin.  Very  proper  you  have  white  slave  boy." 

The  negro  captain  for  some  time  made  no  reply;  he 
appeared  to  be  in  deep  thought.  At  last  he  said — 

"  Boy,  you  have  saved  your  life ;  you  may  thank  yourself 
and  not  me.  Prossa,  let  him  be  taken  below ;  give  him  a 
frock  and  trousers,  and  throw  that  infernal  dress  overboard, 
or  I  may  change  my  resolution." 

The  negro  who  was  addressed,  and  who  wore  a  sort  of 
nniform  as  an  officer — which  he  was,  being  second  mate — led 
me  below, — nothing  loath,  I  can  assure  my  readers. 

When  I  was  between  decks,  I  sat  down  upon  a  chest,  my 
head  swam,  and  I  fainted.  The  shock  had  been  too  powerful 
for  a  lad  of  my  age.  They  bi'ought  water,  and  recovered  me. 
When  I  revived,  I  felt  that  I  might  have  lost  in  their  good 
opinion  by  thus  showing  my  weakness ;  and  I  had  sufficient 
presence  of  mind  to  ask  for  something  to  eat.  This  deceived 
them ;  they  said  to  one  another  that  I  must  have  been  on 
board  that  vessel  for  two  days  without  food,  and  of  course  I 
did  not  deny  it. 

They  brought  me  some  meat  and  some  grog.  I  ate  and 

128 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

drank  a  little.  They  then  took  off  my  uniform,  and  put  on 
me  a  check  frock  and  white  trousers ;  after  which  I  said  I 
wished  to  lie  down  a  little,  and  they  left  me  to  sleep  on  the 
chest  where  I  had  been  seated. 

I  pretended  to  sleep,  although  I  could  not ;  and  I  found 
out  by  their  conversation  that  I  gained  the  goodwill  not  only 
of  the  crew,  but  of  the  captain,  by  my  behaviour. 

I  considered  that  I  had  gained  my  life,  at  least  for 
the  present;  but  what  security  could  I  have  in  such  com- 
pany ? 

After  an  hour  or  two  I  felt  quite  recovered,  and  I  thought 
it  advisable  to  go  on  deck.  I  did  so,  and  went  right  aft  to 
the  negro  captain,  and  stood  before  him. 

"  Well,  boy,"  said  he,  "  why  do  you  come  to  me  ?  " 

"  You  gave  me  my  life ;  you're  the  greatest  friend  I  have 
here,  so  I  come  to  you.  Can  I  do  anything  ?  " 

"  Yes  ;  you  may  assist  in  the  cabin,  if  your  white  blood  does 
not  curdle  at  the  idea  of  attending  on  a  black  man." 

"  Not  at  all.  I  will  do  anything  for  those  who  are  kind  to 
me,  as  you  have  been." 

"  And  think  it  no  disgrace  ?  " 

"  Not  the  least.     Is  it  a  disgrace  to  be  grateful  ?  " 

The  reader  will  observe  how  particularly  judicious  my 
replies  were,  although  but  fifteen  years  old.  My  dangerous 
position  had  called  forth  the  reflection  and  caution  of  man- 
hood. 

"  Go  down  into  the  cabin ;  you  may  amuse  yourself  till  I 
come." 

I  obeyed  this  order.  The  cabin  was  fitted  up  equal  to 
most  yachts,  with  Spanish  mahogany  and  gold  mouldings  ;  a 
buffet  full  of  silver  (there  was  no  glass)  occupied  nearly 
one-half  of  it ;  even  the  plates  and  dishes  were  of  the  same 
material.  Silver  candelabras  hung  down  from  the  middle  of 
the  beams ;  a  variety  of  swords,  pistols,  and  other  weapons 
were  fixed  up  against  the  bulkhead  ;  a  small  bookcase,  chiefly 
of  Spanish  books,  occupied  the  after-bulkhead,  and  the 
portraits  of  several  white  females  filled  up  the  intervals ;  a 
large  table  in  the  centre,  a  stand  full  of  charts,  half-a-dozen 
boxes  of  cigars,  and  two  most  luxurious  sofas,  completed  the 
furniture. 

A  door  from  the  starboard  side  led,  I  presumed,  to  the 
129  I 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

state-room,  where  the  captain  slept ;  but  I  did  not  venture 
to  open  it. 

I  surveyed  all  this  magnificence,  wondering  who  this  per- 
sonage could  be ;  and  more  still,  how  it  was  that  the 
whole  of  the  crew  were,  as  well  as  the  captain,  of  the  negro 
race. 

We  had  heard  that  the  pirate  we  were  in  search  of  was  a 
well-known  character — a  Spaniard — who  went  by  the  name 
of  Chico,  and  that  his  crew  consisted  of  Americans,  English, 
and  Spaniards.  That  this  was  the  vessel,  I  knew,  from  the 
conversation  of  the  men  when  I  was  below,  for  they  called 
her  the  Stella. 

Now,  it  appeared  that  the  vessel  had  changed  masters  ;  the 
crew  were  chiefly  Spanish  negroes,  or  other  negroes  who 
spoke  Spanish,  but  some  of  them  spoke  English  and  a  few 
Words  of  Spanish ;  these,  I  presumed,  were  American,  or 
English  runaways.  But  the  captain — his  language  was  as 
correct  as  my  own;  Spanish  he  spoke  fluently,  for  I  heard 
him  giving  orders  in  that  language  while  I  was  in  the  cabin ; 
neither  was  he  flat-nosed,  like  the  majority.  Had  he  been 
white,  his  features  would  have  been  considered  regular,  al- 
though there  was  a  fierceness  about  them  at  times,  which 
was  terrible  to  look  at. 

"Well,"  thought  I,  "if  I  live  and  do  well,  I  shall  know 
more  about  it ;  yes,  if  I  live.  I  wish  I  was  on  the  quarter- 
deck of  the  Calliope,  even  as  Tommy  was,  with  his  pockets 
stuffed  full  of  the  purser's  raisins,  and  looking  like  a  fool 
and  a  rogue  at  the  same  time." 

I  had  been  down  in  the  cabin  about  half-an-hour,  when 
the  negro  captain  made  his  appearance. 

"  Well,"  said  he,  "  I  suppose  you  would  as  soon  see  the 
devil  as  me — eh,  boy  ?  " 

"  No,  indeed,"  replied  I,  laughing — for  I  had  quite  re- 
covered my  confidence — "for  you  were  about  to  send  me  to 
the  devil,  and  I  feel  most  happy  that  I  still  remain  with  you." 

"You're  exactly  the  cut  of  boy  I  like,"  replied  he,  smiling. 
"  How  I  wish  that  you  were  black  ! — I  detest  your  colour." 

"  I  have  no  objection  to  black  my  face,  if  you  wish  it," 
replied  I  ;  "it's  all  the  same  to  me  what  colour  I  am." 

"  How  old  are  you  ?  " 

"  I  was  fifteen  a  few  months  back." 

130 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

"  How  long  have  you  been  to  sea  ?  " 

"  About  eighteen  months." 

He  then  asked  me  a  great  many  more  questions,  about  the 
captain,  the  officers,  the  ship,  and  myself;  to  all  of  which  I 
answered  in  a  guarded  way. 

A  negro  brought  down  his  supper ;  it  was  hot,  and  very 
savoury :  without  any  order  on  his  part,  I  immediately  at- 
tended upon  him  during  his  meal.  He  told  the  negro  not  to 
wait,  and  conversed  with  me  during  the  time  that  he  was 
eating ;  at  last  he  told  me  how  he  had  doubled  the  frigate 
during  the  night.  I  then  remarked  that  we  had  been  in- 
formed that  the  vessel  was  called  the  Stella,  that  the  captain's 
name  was  Chico,  and  the  crew  were  composed  of  white  men 
of  different  nations. 

"  A  month  or  two  ago  it  was  the  case,"  replied  the  captain. 
"  Now  I  have  done,  and  you  may  clear  away,"  continued  he, 
rising  from  his  chair  and  throwing  himself  down  on  one  of 
the  sofas.  "  Stop — you  are  hungry,  I  don't  doubt ;  you  can  sib 
down  and  eat  your  supper,  and  remove  the  things  afterwards." 

I  did  as  he  told  me  :  it  was  the  first  time  in  my  life  I  had 
supped  off  massive  plate — but  I  was  in  strange  company ; 
however,  it  did  not  spoil  my  appetite,  and  I  did  not  forget  to 
drink  a  goblet  of  wine  by  way  of  washing  down  my  repast. 

"  Thank  you,  sir,"  said  I,  rising,  and  then  performing  my 
office  of  attendant. 

At  his  order,  I  rang  the  bell  for  the  negro,  who  assisted 
me  in  clearing  away,  and  then  went  out  with  the  remains  of 
the  supper. 

"  Am  I  to  stay  or  go  ?  "  said  I  respectfully. 

"  You  may  go  now.  Find  the  man  who  came  in  just  now 
• — Jose  he  is  called ;  tell  him  to  give  you  something  to  sleep 
upon." 

"  Good  night,  sir,"  said  I. 

"  Good  night,  boy." 

As  I  went  forward  looking  for  the  negro  servant,  I  was 
accosted  more  than  once  very  kindly  by  the  negro  seamen. 
At  last  I  went  up  on  the  forecastle,  and  they  asked  me  to 
tell  them  how  I  was  left  on  board  the  schooner.  I  did  so 
to  those  who  spoke  English,  and  one  of  them  who  could 
speak  both  languages,  translated  into  Spanish  for  the  benefit 
of  the  others. 

131 


PERCIVAL  KEEXE 

"You  be  first  white  he  hab  spared,  I  tell  you,"  said  the 
American  negro  who  had  translated  into  Spanish  what  I  had 
told  them,  after  the  others  had  left  me  with  him. 

"The  captain  says  he  wishes  I  were  black,"  said  I  to  the 
negro  ;  "  I  wish  I  was,  too,  while  I  am  on  board  this  vessel — 
my  colour  makes  him  angry,  I  see  that.  Could  not  I  be 
stained  black  ?  " 

"Well,  I  do  think  it  will  be  a  very  safe  thing  for  you,  if  it 
could  be,  for  you  have  not  seen  him  sometimes  in  his  moods ; 
and  if  to-morrow  morning  he  was  chased  and  hard  pressed 
by  the  frigate,  you  would  stand  a  poor  chance,  suppose  his 
eyes  light  upon  you.  I  can't  tink  what  make  him  to  let  you 
off,  only  but  'cause  you  give  him  de  spyglass  in  dat  bold  way. 
I  tink  I  know  a  chap  on  board  who  understand  dat — I  go 
see — you  wait  here  till  I  come  back." 

The  negro  left  me,  and  in  a  few  minutes  returned,  with  a 
sort  of  half-Indian,  half-negro-looking  cut  of  fellow,  with 
whom  he  conversed  in  Spanish. 

"  He  say  he  know  how  to  make  brown  like  himself,  but 
not  dark  same  as  me.  Suppose  you  wish  he  do  it  to-night — 
begin  now  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  do  wish  it,"  replied  I ;  and  so  I  did  sincerely,  for 
I  felt  that  it  might  be  the  saving  of  my  life;  and  I  had  a 
great  aversion  to  be  torn  to  pieces  by  the  sharks  which 
followed  the  vessel,  that  being  anything  but  an  agreeable 
mode  of  going  out  of  the  world. 

The  American  black  remained  with  me,  and  we  conversed 
for  about  half-an-hour,  by  which  time  we  were  joined  by  the 
Spanish  Main  negro,  who  brought  up  with  him  some  decoction 
or  another,  boiling  hot.  They  stripped  me,  and  rubbed  me 
all  over  with  a  bit  of  sponge,  not  only  the  face  and  hands, 
but  every  part  of  my  body,  and  then  I  was  left  standing 
quite  naked  to  dry;  the  crew  had  gathered  round  us,  and 
were  very  merry  at  the  idea  of  changing  my  colour. 

As  soon  as  the  warm  air  had  dried  me,  t'he  application  was 
repeated ;  and  when  I  was  again  dry,  the  American  told  me 
to  put  on  my  clothes,  and  that  he  would  call  me  early  to 
have  two  more  applications  of  the  stuff,  and  that  then  I 
should  be  quite  dark  enough. 

I  asked  for  Jose,  and  told  him  what  the  captain  had  said ; 
he  gave  me  a  bundle  of  matting  for  a  bed,  and  I  was  soon 

132 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

fast  asleep.  About  three  o'clock  in  the  morning  I  was  called 
up,  and  the  staining  repeated  twice,  and  I  then  lay  down 
again. 

When  the  hands  were  turned  up  at  five  bells  (for  every- 
thing was  very  regular  on  board),  Jose  brought  me  a  glass  to 
look  at  myself,  and  I  was  quite  satisfied  that  my  colour  would 
no  longer  annoy  the  captain.  I  was  not  as  black  as  a  negro, 
but  I  was  as  dark  as  a  mulatto. 

I  asked  the  Spanish  negro,  through  Jose,  who  could  speak 
both  languages,  whether  I  might  wash  myself.  He  replied, 
all  day  long  if  I  pleased ;  that  I  should  not  get  the  colour 
off;  it  would  wear  off  in  time,  and  the  stuff  must  be  applied 
once  a  month,  and  that  would  be  sufficient. 

I  went  to  the  forecastle  and  washed  myself;  the  negro 
crew  were  much  amused,  and  said  that  I  now  was  a  "  bel 
muchaco  " — a  handsome  boy.  I  dare  say  they  thought  so — 
at  all  events,  they  appeared  to  be  very  friendly  with  me,  and 
my  staining  myself  gave  them  great  satisfaction.  I  was  sitting 
with  Jose  between  decks  when  the  cabin  bell  rang. 

"  Yo  go,"  said  he,  showing  his  white  teeth  as  he  grinned ; 
"  I  go  after,  see  what  captain  tink." 

I  went  into  the  cabin,  and  knocked  at  the  state-room  door. 

"  Come  in,"  said  the  captain. 

I  went  ir,  and  met  him  face  to  face. 

"What!"  said  he,  looking  earnestly  at  me — "yet  it  must 
be — it  is  you,  is  it  not  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir,"  replied  I,  "  it  is  me.  I've  turned  dark  to  please 
you,  and  I  hope  it  does  please  you." 

"  It  does,  boy ;  I  can  look  at  you  now,  and  forget  that  you 
are  white.  I  can.  Yes,  I  feel  that  I  can  love  you  now — 
you've  got  rid  of  your  only  fault  in  my  eyes,  and  I'm  not 
sorry.  I'm  only  glad  that  I  did  not " 

"  Give  me  to  the  sharks,"  said  I,  finishing  his  sentence. 

"  Exactly  so ;  say  no  more  about  it." 

I  immediately  turned  the  conversation,  by  asking  him 
what  he  required ;  and  I  attended  him  while  dressing. 
From  that  time  he  became  very  friendly  towards  me,  con- 
stantly conversing  with  me.  I  did  my  duty  as  his  servant 
for  more  than  a  fortnight,  during  which  time  we  became 
very  intimate,  and  (I  may  as  well  confess  it)  I  grew  very 
fond  of  my  new  master,  and  thought  less  about  the  ship 

133 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

and  my  shipmates.  We  were  going  into  a  port,  I  knew, 
but  what  port  I  did  not  know. 

I  often  had  conversations  with  Jose  and  the  American 
black,  and  gained  a  great  deal  of  information  from  them, 
but  I  could  not  discover  much  of  the  history  of  the  captain. 
On  that  point  they  refused  to  be  communicative ;  occasion- 
ally hints  were  given,  and  then,  as  if  recollecting  themselves, 
they  stopped  speaking. 

It  was  about  three  weeks  before  we  made  the  land  of 
Cuba,  and  as  soon  as  we  did  so  the  schooner  was  hove  to  till 
night,  when  sail  was  again  made,  and  before  ten  o'clock  we 
saw  the  lights  of  the  Havannah.  When  about  three  miles 
off  we  again  hove  to,  and  about  midnight  we  perceived  under 
the  land  the  white  sails  of  a  schooner,  which  was  standing 
out.  Sail  was  made,  and  we  ran  down  to  her,  and  before 
she  was  aware  that  we  were  an  enemy,  she  was  laid  by 
the  board  and  in  the  possession  of  our  crew.  The  people 
belonging  to  the  vessel  were  handed  up,  and  she  was  exa- 
mined. She  proved  to  be  a  vessel  fitted  out  for  the  slave 
trade,  with  the  manacles,  &c.,  011  board  of  her,  and  was  just 
sailing  for  the  coast. 

I  was  on  the  deck  when  the  white  men  belonging  to  the 
slaver  were  brought  on  board,  and  never  shall  I  forget  the 
rage  and  fury  of  the  captain. 

All  sail  was  made  upon  both  schooners,  standing  right  off 
from  the  land,  and  at  daylight  we  had  left  it  a  long  way 
astern. 

Jose  said  to  me,  "You  better  not  go  to  captain  dis  day. 
Keep  out  of  his  way ;  perhaps  he  recollect  dat  you  white." 

From  what  I  had  seen  the  night  before,  I  thought  this 
good  advice ;  and  I  not  only  did  not  go  into  the  cabin,  but 
I  did  not  show  myself  on  deck. 

About  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning  I  heard  the  boat 
lowered  down,  and  orders  given  to  scuttle  the  vessel,  as  soon 
as  she  had  been  well  searched.  This  was  done,  and  the  boat 
returned,  having  found  several  thousand  dollars  011  board  of 
her,  which  they  handed  up  on  deck. 

I  remained  below :  I  heard  the  angry  voice  of  the  negro 
captain  —  the  pleadings  and  beggings  for  mercy  of  the 
prisoners  —  busy  preparations  making  on  deck ;  and  several 
men  came  down  and  handed  up  buckets  of  sand.  An  iron 

134 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

grating  was  handed  up.  The  countenances  of  the  negroes 
who  were  thus  employed  appeared  inflamed,  as  if  their  wrath 
was  excited ;  now  and  then  they  laughed  at  each  other,  and 
looked  more  like  demons  than  men.  That  some  dreadful 
punishment  was  about  to  be  inflicted  I  was  certain,  and  I  re- 
mained crouched  behind  the  foremast  on  the  lower-deck. 

At  last  the  men  were  all  on  deck  again,  and  I  was  left 
alone ;  and  then  I  heard  more  noise,  begging  for  mercy, 
weeping  and  wailing,  and  occasionally  a  few  words  from  the 
mouth  of  the  negro  captain.  Then  rose  shrieks  and  screams, 
and  appeals  to  Heaven,  and  a  strong  smell  which  I  could  not 
comprehend,  came  down  the  hatchways. 

The  shrieks  grew  fainter,  and  at  last  ceased,  and  something 
was  thrown  overboard.  Then  the  same  tragedy,  whatever  it 
was,  was  acted  over  again — more  attempts  to  obtain  mercy — 
more  shrieks — again  the  same  overpowering  smell.  What 
could  it  be  ?  I  would  have  given  much  to  know,  but  some- 
thing told  me  that  I  must  remain  where  I  was.  Ten  times 
was  this  repeated,  and  then,  as  evening  came  on,  there  was 
a  bustle  on  deck,  and  after  a  time  the  crew  descended  the 
hatchways. 

I  caught  the  eye  of  the  American,  with  whom  I  was 
intimate,  and,  as  he  passed  me,  I  beckoned  to  him.  He 
came  to  me. 

"  What  has  been  done  ?  "  said  I,  in  a  whisper. 

"  Captain  punish  slave  traders,"  replied  he  ;  "  always  punish 
them  so." 

"  Why,  what  did  he  do  to  them  ?  " 

"  Do  ? — roast  'em  alive.  Dis  third  slave  vessel  he  take, 
and  he  always  serve  'em  so.  Serve  'em  right ;  captain  very 
savage  ;  no  go  to  him  till  morrow  morning — you  keep  close." 
So  saying,  the  American  negro  left  me. 

As  I  afterwards  found  out,  the  long  boat  on  the  booms  had 
been  cleared  out,  the  sand  laid  at  the  bottom  to  prevent  the 
fire  from  burning  the  boat,  the  captain  and  crew  of  the  slave 
vessel  laid  on  one  after  the  other  upon  the  iron  grating,  and 
burnt  alive.  This  accounted  for  the  horrible  smell  that  had 
come  down  the  hatchways. 

It  may  be  considered  strange  that  I  really  did  not  feel  so 
much  horror  as  perhaps  I  ought  to  have  done.  Had  this 
dreadful  punishment  been  inflicted  upon  any  other  persons 

135 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

than  slave  dealers,  and  by  any  other  parties  than  negroes,  I 
should  not  have  been  able  to  look  at  the  captain  without 
abhorrence  expressed  in  my  countenance ;  but  I  knew  well 
the  horrors  of  the  slave  trade,  from  conversation  I  had  had 
with  Bob  Cross ;  and  I  had  imbibed  such  a  hatred  against 
the  parties  who  had  carried  it  on,  that  it  appeared  to  me  to 
be  an  act  of  retaliation  almost  allied  to  justice.  Had  the 
negro  captain  only  warred  against  slave  dealers,  I  do  not 
think  I  should  have  cared  about  remaining  in  the  vessel ; 
but  he  had  told  me,  and  fully  proved  to  me,  that  he  detested 
all  white  men,  and  had  never  spared  them  except  in  my 
own  instance. 

I  must  acknowledge  that  I  felt  veiy  much  like  going  into 
the  lion's  den,  when  the  next  morning,  on  his  ringing  the 
cabin  bell,  I  presented  myself  to  the  captain ;  but  so  far  from 
being  in  an  ill-humour,  he  was  very  kind  to  me. 

After  breakfast,  as  I  was  going  out,  he  said  to  me,  "  You 
must  have  a  name  :  I  shall  call  you  Cato — recollect  that ;  and 
now  I  have  a  question  to  ask  you — What  is  that  which  you 
carry  round  your  neck  on  a  ribbon  ?  " 

"  A  letter,  sir,"  replied  I. 

"  A  letter  !  and  why  do  you  carry  a  letter  ?  " 

"  Because  it  is  of  the  greatest  importance  to  me." 

"  Indeed  !  Now,  Cato,  sit  down  on  the  other  sofa,  and  let 
me  know  your  history." 

I  felt  that  I  could  not  do  better  than  make  this  man  at 
once  my  confidant.  He  might  take  a  strong  interest  in  me, 
and  it  was  not  likely  to  go  fai'ther.  I  therefore  told  him 
everything  connected  with  my  birth  and  parentage,  what  my 
suspicions  had  been,  and  how  the  letter  had  confirmed  them. 
I  unsewed  the  sealskin,  and  gave  him  the  letter  to  read — 
without  being  aware  that  he  could  read ;  he  took  it,  and 
read  it  aloud. 

"Yes,"  said  he,  "that's  proof  under  his  own  hand.  And 
now,  Cato,  never  be  afraid  of  me ;  for,  however  I  may  wreak 
my  vengeance  upon  others,  I  swear  by  my  colour  that  I  never 
will  hurt  you  or  permit  others  to  do  so.  I  am  a  tiger — I 
know  it ;  but  you  have  often  seen  a  little  spaniel  caressed 
by  the  tiger,  whose  fangs  are  turned  against  every  other 
living  thing.  You  are  quite  safe." 

"  I  feel  I  am,  since  you  say  so/'  replied  I ;  "  and  since  I 

136 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

am  to  be  your  pet,  I  shall  take  liberties,  and  ask  you,  in 
return,  to  tell  me  your  history." 

"  I  am  glad  that  you  have  asked  it,  as  I  wish  you  to  know 
it.  I  will  begin  at  once  : — 

"  I  was  born  in  America,  in  the  State  of  Pennsylvania,  of 
free  parents.  My  father  was  a  sail-maker,  and  was  worth 
money ;  but  a  free  black  in  America  is  even  worse  treated 
and  more  despised  than  a  slave.  I  had  two  brothers,  who 
went  to  school  with  me. 

"  My  father  intended  to  bring  me  up  for  the  Church.  You 
look  astonished  ;  but  in  the  States  we  have  clergymen  of  our 
colour,  as  well  as  white  ones  ;  looked  down  upon  and  despised, 
I  grant,  although  they  do  teach  the  Word  of  God.  But  I  was 
very  unfit  for  that  profession,  as  you  may  suppose.  I  was 
very  proud  and  haughty ;  I  felt  that  I  was  as  good  as  a  white 
man,  and  I  very  often  got  into  scrapes  from  my  resenting 
injuries. 

"  However,  my  education  went  on  successfully,  much  more 
so  than  my  brothers',  who  could  not  learn.  I  could,  and 
learnt  rapidly ;  but  I  learnt  to  hate  and  detest  white  men, 
and  more  especially  Americans.  I  brooded  over  the  injuries 
of  people  of  colour,  as  we  were  called,  and  all  my  father's 
advice  and  entreaty  could  not  persuade  me  to  keep  my 
thoughts  to  myself.  As  I  grew  up  to  manhood,  I  spoke 
boldly,  and  more  than  once  nearly  lost  my  life  for  so  doing ; 
for  most  Americans  think  no  more  of  taking  the  life  of  one 
like  me  than  of  a  dog  in  the  street.  More  than  one  knife 
has  been  directed  to  my  heart,  and  more  than  once  was  I 
taken  up  before  the  judge,  and  sentenced  to  imprisonment 
for  no  fault;  my  evidence,  and  the  evidence  of  those  of  my 
colour,  not  being  permitted  to  be  received  in  a  court  of 
justice.  Any  white  villain  had  only  to  swear  falsely — and 
there  is  no  want  of  that  class  in  America — and  there  was  no 
appeal.  At  last  I  was  sentenced  to  be  whipped ;  then  my 
blood  boiled,  and  I  vowed  a  vengeance  which  I  have  fearfully 
adhered  to." 

"  I  do  not  wonder  at  that,"  said  I ;  "  I  would  have  done 
the  same." 

"The  man  who  had  sworn  falsely  against  me  in  this  last 
instance  had  come  up  from  the  south.  I  obtained  what 
money  I  could  from  my  father,  and  went  away  in  pursuit  of 

137 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

him.  I  found  him — dogged  him,  and  one  evening  I  accosted 
him,  and  plunged  my  bowie-knife  into  his  heart.  I  fled  that 
State,  and  crossed  the  Mississippi. 

"  I  had  not  been  long  in  Arkansas  before  a  man — a  cotton 
grower,  who  owned  about  a  hundred  and  fifty  slaves — in- 
quired who  I  was,  and  whether  I  had  a  pass ;  I  replied  that 
I  was  a  free  man,  born  in  Pennsylvania,  and  was  there  on  my 
own  affairs.  The  next  day  I  was  taken  up,  brought  before 
the  magistrate,  and  this  scoundrel  swore  that  I  was  his  slave, 
and  had  absconded  from  him  ten  years  before. 

"  My  defence — the  proof  which  I  offered  to  bring — was  not 
listened  to.  I  was  made  over  to  him,  and  the  rascal  grinned 
as  the  constables  brought  me  away  with  him.  His  planta- 
tion was  at  the  Red  River.  It  was  difficult  to  escape,  and, 
indeed,  almost  useless  to  attempt  it :  but  the  fact  was,  that  I 
did  not  wish  to  do  so ;  I  remained  to  have  my  revenge.  I 
tried  to  make  the  other  slaves  rise  against  him,  but  they 
were  too  cowed ;  they  even  informed  against  me,  and  I  was 
tied  down,  and  flogged  by  the  drivers  until  the  flesh  fell 
from  my  shoulders. 

"  As  soon  as  I  recovered,  I  determined  to  do — or  die.  I 
heard  that  there  were  some  pirate  vessels  in  the  Barataria 
lagoons  on  the  other  side  of  New  Orleans ;  I  resolved  to  join 
the  crews,  but  first  to  have  my  revenge.  I  did  so  :  I  set  fire 
to  the  plantation  house — struck  the  scoundrel  who  had  made 
me  a  slave  senseless  as  he  attempted  to  escape,  and  threw 
his  body  into  the  flames ;  I  then  made  the  door  fast,  and 
fled.  I  was  met  by  one  of  the  overseers,  who  was  armed, 
and  would  have  stopped  me ;  I  beat  his  brains  out  with  his 
own  musket,  and  then  gained  the  woods.  You  see  that  I 
am  powerful ;  you  hardly  know  how  much  so.  After  several 
days'  travelling,  I  arrived  at  the  lagoons.  I  found  this  very 
vessel  at  anchor.  I  offered  myself,  and  they  accepted  me 
immediately. 

"  There  were  several  of  my  colour  on  board — runaway 
slaves — and  all  good  determined  men.  These  were  the 
people  I  required,  for  they  understood  me.  Even  on  board 
a  pirate  vessel,  the  same  contempt  was  shown  towards  us — 
still  considered  as  inferior  beings.  All  the  heavy  work,  all 
the  dirty  work,  was  for  the  negro  race ;  and  we  often  worked 
like  slaves,  while  the  captain  and  the  rest  of  the  crew 

138 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

caroused.  I  was  three  years  on  board  of  this  vessel.  Our 
rendezvous,  where  we  are  going  to  now,  is  a  small  land- 
locked bay  on  the  island  of  Cuba.  No  vessel  in  it  can  be 
seen  from  seaward,  and  there  is  but  one  narrow  pass  by 
which  it  communicates  with  the  interior,  and  it  is  far  from 
any  habitation.  A  better  retreat  for  a  pirate  vessel  could 
not  well  be  found.  We  used  very  often  to  go  in  to  refit,  and 
take  in  provisions  and  water ;  for  in  a  cave  there  we  keep 
the  provisions  which  we  take  from  other  vessels. 

"  In  a  desperate  fight  which  we  had  with  an  English  man- 
of-war  brig,  we  lost  nearly  forty  of  our  men.  The  captain, 
Chico,  as  he  was  called,  was  obliged  to  fill  up  with  black 
men,  until  he  could  procure  others.  The  consequence  was, 
that  with  the  ten  before  on  board,  there  were  fifty  blacks  to 
seventy  whites.  It  was  then  that  I  made  up  my  mind  that 
I  would  retaliate  for  all  that  my  race  had  suffered.  I  was 
sure  of  the  ten  with  whom  I  had  sailed  so  long ;  I  sounded 
the  others,  and  found  them  all  willing. 

"  We  sailed  from  the  Mexican  Gulf,  and  made  for  the 
Rendezvous  Bay,  in  Cuba.  As  soon  as  we  arrived,  of  course, 
as  with  all  pirate  vessels,  the  first  day  was  dedicated  to 
revelling  and  intoxication — that  is,  by  the  white  portion  of 
the  crew.  We  negroes  were  employed  in  getting  the  casks 
ashore  for  water.  That  very  night,  when  they  all  lay  asleep 
and  drunk,  we  put  every  soul  of  them  to  death,  and  the 
Stella  belonged  to  me  and  my  brave  blacks,  who  chose  me 
for  their  captain,  and  swore  by  their  wrongs  eternal  enmity 
to  the  European  race. 

"  As  you  may  suppose,  I  was  short-manned ;  but  we  soon 
found  plenty  of  men,  and  I  have  now  as  fine  a  ci'ew  as  ever 
trod  a  deck." 

"  How  long  is  it  since  you  took  possession  of  the  vessel  ?" 

"About  eight  or  nine  months,  during  which  time  I  have 
spared  none  except  you.  The  usual  death  is  drowning ;  but 
if  I  fall  in  with  a  slaver,  then — you  know  what  took  place 
yesterday." 

I  was  silent  for  a  time.  "  I  do  not  wonder,"  said  I  at  last, 
"at  your  hatred  of  the  whites,  especially  of  the  Americans. 
As  for  your  wreaking  your  vengeance  upon  those  employed 
in  the  slave  trade,  dreadful  as  it  is,  I  scarcely  pity  them ;  but 
in  your  general  warfare  against  the  whites,  recollect  that  you 

139 


PERCIVAL'KEENE 

may  murder  those  who  are  your  friends,  and  who  have  done 
all  they  can  to  put  an  end  to  slavery.  Even  in  America 
there  are  many  who  are  opposed  to  it." 

"  It  is  impossible  to  make  a  distinction/'  replied  the  negro 
captain. 

"  What  is  your  name  ?  "  said  I,  musing. 

"  Why  do  you  ask  ?  You  may  as  well  know ;  I  wish  it  to 
be  known  :  it  is  James  Vincent." 

"  But  tell  me,  if  you  were  to  meet  with  a  very  superior 
force,  what  would  you  do  ?  " 

"  Run  if  I  could  ;  if  not,  fight." 

"  But  you  might  be  captured,  and  then " 

"  Never,  boy ;  never." 

"  Well,"  said  I,  "  as  you  have  begun  by  sparing  me,  I  hope 
you  will  spare  others  now." 

"  I  don't  know  why  I  spared  you.  Had  you  shown  any 
fear  of  death  I  should  not  have  done  so ;  but  I  felt  that  you 
would  not  care  about  it.  I  believe  it  was  that." 

About  ten  days  after,  we  made  the  east  end  of  the  island 
of  Cuba,  and  ran  into  the  Bay  of  Rendezvous,  as  it  was  named 
by  the  pirate.  It  was  very  small,  but  completely  land-locked, 
and  the  land  so  high  on  every  side  that  the  masts  of  the  vessel 
could  not  be  seen  from  seaward.  The  bay  on  the  land  side 
was  met  by  a  deep,  narrow  ravine,  between  mountains  which 
were  almost  perpendicular,  the  ravine  itself  being  accessible 
from  the  mainland  by  only  one  narrow  path  known  to  the 
pirates,  and  which  they  seldom  made  use  of,  except  when  a 
spy  was  sent  to  the  Havannah  to  ascertain  what  vessels  were 
about  to  sail. 

On  the  high  land  which  shut  in  the  bay  from  the  sea,  the 
pirates  had  a  man  constantly  on  the  look-out,  to  report  any 
vessel  which  might  be  in  the  offing,  and  Vincent  himself 
passed  much  of  his  time  there,  as  the  breeze  was  fresh  and 
the  air  cool  to  what  it  was  down  in  the  land-locked  bay.  I 
was,  for  the  same  reason,  very  fond  of  being  on  the  look-out 
hill,  and  generally  followed  up  the  captain  when  he  went  out 
there.  He  certainly  now  showed  a  strong  affection  for  me, 
and  I  liked  him  better  than  I  ever  thought  I  could  have 
done.  He  was  constantly  telling  me  of  the  treatment  he 
and  the  other  poor  blacks  had  received  in  America,  and  I 
could  not  help  feeling  my  blood  boil,  and  a  conviction  that, 

140 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

had  I  been  so  treated,  I  should  probably  have  been  equally 
under  the  influence  of  revenge.  It  is  the  world,  and  the 
treatment  we  receive  from  it,  which  makes  us  chiefly  what 
we  are. 

One  day  the  captain  told  me  he  was  going  that  evening  to 
obtain  information,  as  the  spy  he  had  sent  had  returned  un- 
successful, and  that  he  should  be  absent  for  three  or  four 
days. 

Although  I  was  not  discontented  with  my  position,  still,  as 
the  reader  may  well  suppose,  I  had  a  strong  wish  to  be  out 
of  it  as  soon  as  possible,  and  I  had  determined  to  escape  if  I 
could  ;  it  immediately  occurred  to  me  that  his  absence  would 
give  me  the  opportunity. 

I  replied  with  a  laugh,  "  Had  you  not  better  take  me  with 
you  ?  " 

"  Very  likely  indeed,  you  would  be  so  very  useful.  I  shall 
have  quite  enough  to  do  to  take  care  of  myself;  besides,  you 
might  betray  me/'  added  he,  with  a  fierce  and  penetrating 
look. 

"  Thank  you  for  your  good  opinion,"  replied  I  indignantly. 
"  So  you  think,  because  you  have  saved  my  life,  that  I  would 
take  yours.  I  am  not  yet  such  a  rascal,  whatever  I  may 
become  by  keeping  bad  company." 

"  Well,  well,"  replied  the  negro  captain,  "  I  believe  I  am 
wrong,  so  don't  get  into  a  passion ;  but,  at  all  events,  you 
must  see  that  it  is  impossible  I  can  take  you  with  me." 

"  If  you  don't  choose,  I  can't  help  it,"  said  I ;  "  but  I  don't 
like  remaining  here  without  you ;  I  shall  run  away  if  I  can, 
so  I  give  you  fair  warning." 

"  You  won't  find  that  quite  so  easy,"  replied  he,  laughing ; 
"  and  I  recommend  you  not  to  attempt  it." 

Here  the  conversation  dropped.  About  midnight  the 
captain  commenced  his  ascent  of  the  ravine,  and  I  resolved 
that  I  would  not  lose  the  opportunity,  if  it  offered,  of  follow- 
ing him.  I  watched  him  as  long  as  I  could  see  him,  that  I 
might  know  the  direction  of  the  secret  path,  and  then  I 
joined  the  crew,  who  were  lying  down  by  the  tents  which 
they  had  pitched  on  the  shore.  Shortly  afterwards,  the 
Spanish  Indian  who  had  coloured  me  passed  by  me,  and  as 
I  intended  to  make  the  attempt  before  it  was  quite  dark,  I 
thought  that  I  would  remove  any  suspicion,  and  I  therefore 

141 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

requested  him  to  stain  me  again.  This  he  consented  to  do, 
and  in  half-an-hour  I  was  again  naked  among  the  negroes, 
and  undergoing  the  operation.  Having  received  the  two 
applications,  as  before,  I  then  quitted  them. 

As  soon  as  it  was  quite  dark,  I  armed  myself  with  a  pair  of 
pistols,  and  crawled  underneath  the  back  of  the  captain's  tent, 
in  which  I  always  slept,  and,  without  being  perceived,  gained 
the  narrow  path  in  the  brushwood  by  which  the  captain 
had  left 

I  continued  in  the  path  for  some  time,  by  feeling  the  brush- 
wood on  either  side  ;  but  before  I  had  crawled  half-way  up  the 
ravine,  I  found  that  the  brushwood  had  not  been  cut  away  any 
farther,  and  I  was  at  a  loss  how  to  proceed.  All  traces  were 
gone,  and  all  I  had  to  do  was  to  climb  up  to  the  summit,  and 
to  take  my  chance  of  finding  any  egress.  I  toiled  on  with 
difficulty  :  sometimes  stopped  by  a  rock  which  would  take 
me  minutes  to  climb  over  ;  at  others,  holding  on  by  the  brush- 
wood for  my  life.  By  twelve  o'clock  I  had  gained  more  than 
two-thirds  of  the  ascent,  and  then  the  moon  rose,  and  assisted 
me  with  her  light.  I  must  say,  that  when  I  looked  up  and 
saw  the  rocks  towering  above  me,  and  overhanging  my  path, 
I  felt  that  escape  was  nearly  impossible ;  however,  I  recom- 
menced my  labour,  and  gained  some  ground,  when,  as  I  was 
clinging  to  the  side  of  a  rock  by  a  small  shrub,  it  gave  way, 
and  I  rolled  and  fell  down  many  feet,  between  that  rock  and 
another  opposite  to  it. 

I  was  not  much  hurt,  aod  I  regained  my  legs.  Looking  up 
and  about  me,  I  found  that  I  was  in  a  narrow  passage  between 
the  rocks,  leading  both  up  and  down — in  fact,  I  had  tumbled 
into  the  secret  path  that  I  had  been  in  search  of.  Delighted 
with  this  discovery,  I  now  set  off  with  great  spirit,  and  in  half- 
an-hour  found  myself  on  the  other  side  of  the  hill  which  formed 
the  ravine,  and  looking  down  upon  an  expanse  of  country  in 
the  interior.  Being  very  tired,  I  sat  down,  that  I  might 
recover  my  strength  before  I  continued  my  journey. 

"  I  am  free  at  last,"  thought  I,  and  my  memory  wandered 
back  to  my  mother,  my  ship,  and  my  captain — old  Culpepper, 
Tommy  Dott,  and  Bob  Cross.  "I  shall  see  them  all,"  I 
thought,  "  and  what  a  story  I  shall  have  to  tell."  As  soon 
as  I  had  rested  myself  and  recovered  my  breath,  I  thought 
I  might  as  well  start. 

142 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

I  had  not  proceeded  more  than  a  hundred  yards  before  I 
thought  I  heard  a  noise,  as  if  some  one  was  approaching.  I 
listened — I  felt  sure  that  such  was  the  case,  and  I  also  heard 
the  deep  baying  of  a  hound.  The  noise  increased  rapidly — • 
it  was  that  of  one  forcing  his  way  through  the  brushwood, 
which  covered  the  side  of  the  hill. 

In  a  minute  afterwards  I  perceived  a  man  coming  up  the 
hill  at  a  swift  pace,  directly  towards  me.  As  he  approached 
I  could  almost  swear  that  it  was  Vincent,  the  negro  captain ; 
but  when  within  ten  yards  of  me,  I  perceived  him  turn  round 
and  flourish  his  sabre  in  the  air,  while,  at  the  same  time,  three 
large  bloodhounds  spiving  at  him.  One  fell  by  the  blow  of 
his  sabre ;  but  the  other  two  flew  at  his  throat,  and  fastened 
on  him,  bearing  him  to  the  ground,  and  holding  him  in  spite 
of  all  his  struggling  and  his  immense  strength. 

I  recollected  my  pistols  :  I  cocked  them,  ran  up,  and  putting 
one  to  the  head  of  the  nearest  dog,  blew  out  its  brains.  I 
was  equally  successful  with  the  other — they  both  lay  dead 
by  his  side,  and  Vincent  was  released.  He  started  up. 

"  It  is  me — Cato,"  said  I. 

"  Cato ! "  replied  he ;  "  but  there  is  not  a  moment  to  be 
lost.  I  undei'stand  it  all." 

He  seized  me  by  the  arm,  and  dragged  me  with  him  to 
the  narrow  entrance  of  the  pass,  and  as  soon  as  we  came 
in  he  rolled  three  large  rocks,  which  had  evidently  been 
used  for  such  purpose  before,  so  as  completely  to  block  up 
the  entrance. 

"  There,"  said  he,  leaning  back  quite  exhausted  ;  "be  quiet, 
Cato.  We  are  safe  now  ;  they  will  be  on  the  top  of  the  hill 
directly." 

We  remained  where  we  were  about  ten  minutes,  when  we 
heard  voices  not  very  far  from  us.  They  were  the  pursuers  of 
the  negro  captain,  who  were  evidently  baffled.  After  a  time 
the  sounds  receded  from  us,  and  we  heard  them  no  more. 
Vincent  then  spoke. 

"  You  were  escaping,  Cato." 

"I  had  escaped,"  replied  I ;  "  I  told  you  that  I  would." 

"  Strange  that  you  should  have  discovered  the  path  ;  did 
any  one  betray  it  to  you  ?  " 

"  No  one,"  replied  I ;  and  I  then  told  him  how  I  had  fallen 
into  it. 

143 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

"Well,  you  have  returned  all  obligations,  and  more  than 
ever  you  owed  me/'  said  he ;  "  you  have  saved  my  life  this 
time,  and  that  when  all  chance  was  over." 

"  Then,"  replied  I,  "  although  I  shall  be  very  sorry  to  part 
with  you,  give  me  that  liberty  which  I  had  gained,  and  which 
I  lost  in  defending  you  from  the  dogs." 

"  I  would  have  let  you  go  then,  Cato,"  replied  he,  "  but 
your  life  would  have  been  sacrificed.  My  pursuers  would 
have  hurried  you  to  prison  before  you  could  have  explained 
who  you  were.  You  forget  your  colour  is  changed ;  they 
were  not  seeking  me,  but  a  runaway  slave,  and  the  blood- 
hounds came  upon  my  track.  Those  white  men  show  no 
mercy ;  they  have  more  pleasure  in  seeing  a  runaway  slave 
torn  to  pieces  by  those  dogs  than  in  recovering  possession  of 
him.  It  is  a  sort  of  fox-chase  to  them,"  continued  he,  grating 
his  teeth  after  he  had  said  so.  "  Cato,  I  will  give  you  your 
liberty,  if  you  wish  it,  and  I  know  you  do  wish  it,  as  soon  as 
I  can  with  any  prudence  ;  that  I  promise  you,  and  you  know 
that  I  will  keep  my  word." 

"  I  am  quite  satisfied,"  replied  I. 

"And  do  you  promise  me  that  you  will  not  attempt  to 
escape  a  second  time  ?  " 

"I  promise  you  that  I  will  not,"  replied  I. 

"  Enough,"  said  Vincent.  "  Now  let  us  go  down  the  hill, 
for  I  am  very  much  torn  by  those  infernal  brutes,  and  must 
have  the  wounds  washed  and  attended  to." 

We  descended  the  hill  in  silence,  and  in  a  quarter  of  an 
hour  had  gained  the  tent.  Vincent  was  severely  bitten  and 
torn.  As  soon  as  his  wounds  had  been  dressed  he  lay  down 
on  his  mat,  and  I  did  the  same. 

It  was  some  days  before  Vincent  recovered  from  the  severe 
injuries  which  he  had  received  from  the  bloodhounds ;  and 
he  did  not  appear  to  be  inclined  to  run  any  more  risks  of 
that  sort.  Although  he  said  little,  I  could  perceive  that  he 
was  brooding  over  future  vengeance,  and  he  was  now  nearly 
the  whole  of  the  day  with  his  glass  on  the  look-out  hill. 

One  morning  a  schooner  hove  in  sight,  steering  from  the 
Havannah  to  the  southward  and  eastward,  either  for  the 
islands  or  the  Spanish  Main.  The  Stella  had  for  many  days 
been  ready  for  instant  sailing,  and  having  watched  her  till 
near  sunset,  Vincent  sent  down  orders  for  every  soul  to  be 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

on  board,  and  the  anchor  hove  up.  Just  as  it  was  dark  we 
towed  out  of  the  bay,  and  made  all  sail. 

At  daylight  the  schooner  was  but  a  few  miles  ahead  of  us, 
and  not  being  a  fast  sailer,  in  a  little  more  than  an  hour  we 
were  alongside  of  her.  She  proved  to  be  bound  to  the  island 
of  Cura9oa,  being  the  property  of  an  old  Dutch  gentleman, 
who  was  on  board  with  his  daughter,  a  little  girl  about  seven 
years  old.  The  crew  consisted  chiefly  of  negroes,  slaves  to 
the  owner;  the  master  of  the  vessel  and  the  mate  being, 
with  the  exception  of  the  old  gentleman  and  the  little  girl, 
the  only  white  people  on  board. 

As  usual,  the  crew  were  brought  on  board  by  the  pirates, 
who  reported  to  the  captain  that  the  vessel  was  in  ballast, 
and  of  no  value.  As  the  crew  of  the  Stella  were  already  more 
than  requisite,  Vincent  did  not  require  the  negroes ;  he  told 
them  that  they  might  go  on  board  the  schooner  again,  and 
take  her  into  any  port  they  pleased ;  with  the  white  people, 
however,  it  was  another  affair. 

I  had  remained  below,  not  wishing  to  witness  a  scene  of 
butchery ;  but  I  was  induced  to  look  up  the  ladder,  in  conse- 
quence of  Jose  telling  me  that  there  was  a  little  white  girl 
come  on  board.  At  the  time  that  I  did  so,  Vincent  had  just 
done  speaking  with  the  negroes  belonging  to  the  captured 
vessel ;  they  had  fallen  back,  and  there  was  then  standing 
before  Vincent  the  master  and  mate  of  the  vessel,  the  old 
Dutch  gentleman  and  the  little  girl. 

A  more  interesting  child  I  never  had  seen,  and  my  heart 
bled  at  the  idea  of  her  being  sacrificed.  I  could  not  help 
hoping  that  Vincent  would  have  a  similar  feeling,  but  I  was 
mistaken.  The  master  and  mate  were  pointed  at,  and  imme- 
diately seized  by  negroes  and  tossed  over  into  the  sea.  The 
old  gentleman  bowed  his  head  over  the  beautiful  child,  and 
she  knelt  to  him,  as  if  for  his  blessing  before  she  died.  At 
that  very  moment  Vincent  gave  the  sign — I  could  remain 
quiet  no  longer — I  sprang  on  the  deck. 

"Stop  !"  cried  I  to  the  men  who  were  about  to  seize  the 
old  gentleman — "  stop  !  "  The  negroes  did  fall  back  at  my 
voice. 

"  What  is  this  ?  "  cried  Vincent. 

"  Captain  Vincent,"  cried  I,  "  do  you  call  yourself  a  man 
to  war  with  children  and  old  grey-headed  men  ?  You  must 

145  K 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

not,  shall  not,  touch  these  two.  You  have  wreaked  your 
vengeance  upon  the  white  men ;  be  content — let  these  go." 

"  Cato,"  replied  Vincent  fiercely,  "  it  is  well  that  it  is  you 
that  have  dared  to  snatch  the  prey  from  the  fangs  of  the 
wild  beast.  Had  it  been  another,  this  pistol  should  have 
sent  a  ball  whizzing  through  his  brain;  as  it  is,  go  down 
below  immediately." 

"  I  do  not  fear  your  pistol,  Captain  Vincent,  nor  will  I  go 
below ;  that  very  pistol,  in  my  hand,  saved  you  from  the 
fangs  of  the  bloodhound.  I  tell  you,  therefore,  that  you 
must  not  destroy  that  innocent  child — if  you  love  me  you 
must  not ;  for  I  will  hate,  detest,  and  scorn  you  ever  after- 
wards. I  entreat  you — I  implore  you  to  let  them  go;  they 
are  not  fit  objects  for  your  vengeance ;  and  if  you  destroy 
them,  I  tell  you,  you  are  a  coward  !  " 

"What!"  roared  the  tiger,  "a.  coward!"  and,  no  longer 
able  to  contain  himself,  he  levelled  his  pistol  at  me  and  drew 
the  trigger.  It  missed  fire  ;  Vincent  looked  very  confused 
— he  tossed  the  pistol  on  deck,  folded  his  arms,  and  turned 
his  face  away. 

There  was  a  dead  silence.  The  negro  crew  looked  first 
at  me  and  then  at  the  captain,  as  if  awaiting  orders,  and 
uncertain  of  the  issue.  The  Dutch  gentleman  seemed  to 
be  so  lost  in  surprise,  as  to  almost  forget  his  impending 
fate ;  while  the  little  girl  clung  to  him,  and  stared  at  me 
with  her  deep  blue  eyes.  It  was  what  in  the  theatres  they 
would  call  a  tableau. 

I  followed  up  my  advantage.  Stepping  forward,  and 
placing  myself  before  the  old  man  and  the  child,  I  first 
broke  the  silence. 

" Captain  Vincent,"  said  I,  "you  did  once  promise  me  that 
you  would  never  injure  me  or  attempt  my  life  ;  that  promise 
you  have  broken.  Since  that,  you  have  made  me  another 
promise — you  may  recollect  it — which  was,  that  you  would 
allow  me  to  leave  you  on  the  first  favourable  opportunity ; 
there  cannot  be  any  opportunity  more  favourable  than  the 
present.  The  negroes  whom  you  are  to  send  back  to  the 
schooner  do  not  know  how  to  navigate  her.  I  request,  there- 
fore, to  know  whether  you  intend  to  keep  this  second  promise, 
or  to  break  it  as  you  have  the  first  ?  I  ask  my  liberty." 

"If  I  broke  my  promise  just  now,  it  was  your  fault/' 

146 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

replied  Vincent  coolly.  "I  am  sorry  for  it,  and  I  can  say 
no  more ;  I  intended  to  keep  it,  and,  to  prove  so,  I  now 
keep  my  second — you  may  go." 

"  I  thank  you  for  that.  I  only  wish  that,  now  I  leave  you, 
I  could  leave  you  with  feelings  of  goodwill,  and  not  of — I 
must  say  it — of  horror  and  disgust.  Captain  Vincent,  once 
more  let  me  beg,  as  a  last  favour,  that  you  will  spare  these 
poor  people." 

"  Since  you  are  so  particularly  interested  about  this  useless 
old  man,  and  still  more  useless  child,"  replied  Vincent  sar- 
castically, "  I  will  now  make  a  proposal  to  you.  You  have 
your  liberty.  Do  you  choose  to  give  it  up  and  remain  here, 
provided  I  let  them  go  away  in  the  schooner  ?  Come  now — 
take  your  choice ;  for  I  swear  by  my  colour,  that  if  you  go 
away  in  the  schooner,  the  moment  you  shove  off,  they  shall 
go  over  the  gunwale." 

"My  choice  is  then  made,"  replied  I;  for  I  knew  that 
when  he  swore  by  his  colour  he  was  in  earnest :  "  release 
them,  and  I  will  remain  here."  I  little  knew  what  I  was 
to  undergo  in  consequence  of  this  decision. 

"  Be  it  so,"  said  Vincent ;  then  turning  to  one  of  the 
mates,  "  Let  them  go  back  with  the  negroes ;  hoist  the  boat 
up  when  she  returns,  and  sail  for  the  Rendezvous."  So 
saying,  he  went  down  into  the  cabin. 

"  You  are  saved,"  said  I,  going  up  to  the  old  Dutch  gentle- 
man ;  "  lose  no  time ;  get  into  the  boat  as  fast  as  possible, 
and  make  sail  on  your  vessel  as  soon  as  you  get  on  board. 
Good-bye,  little  girl,"  said  I,  taking  her  hand. 

"  I  thank  you,"  replied  the  gentleman  in  good  English — 
"  I  cannot  say  how  much ;  I  am  so  surprised  at  what  I  have 
seen ;  but  recollect  the  name  of  Vanderwelt,  of  Curacoa ;  and 
if  ever  we  meet  again,  you  will  find  me  grateful." 

"  I  will ;  but  ask  no  more  questions  now — into  the  boat 
— quick,"  said  I,  shaking  his  proffered  hand.  They  were 
handed  down  into  the  boat  by  the  negroes. 

I  remained  on  deck  until  they  were  put  on  board ;  the 
boat  returned,  was  hoisted  up,  the  schooner  made  sail  again, 
and  then  I  went  down  into  the  cabin.  I  found  the  negro 
captain  stretched  upon  the  sofa,  his  face  covered  up  with 
both  his  hands;  he  remained  in  the  same  position,  taking 
no  notice  of  my  coming  down.  Although  my  confidence  in 

147 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

him  was  destroyed  after  his  snapping  the  pistol  at  me,  yet 
when  I  reflected  how  I  had  bearded  him  in  his  rage,  I  did 
make  some  excuse  for  him ;  moreover,  I  knew  that  it  was 
my  interest  to  be  on  the  best  terms  with  him,  and,  if  pos- 
sible, make  him  forget  what  had  passed,  for  I  felt  that  his 
proud  spirit  would  make  it  difficult  for  him  to  forgive  himself 
for  having  been  induced  by  his  passion  to  break  an  oath 
which  he  had  sworn  to  by  his  colour.  I  therefore,  after  a 
little  reflection,  went  up  to  him  and  said — 

"  I  am  sorry  that  I  made  you  so  angry,  Captain  Vincent ; 
you  must  forgive  me,  but  I  thought  that  deed  beneath  you, 
and  I  could  not  bear  to  have  a  bad  opinion  of  you." 

"  Do  you  mean  to  assert  that  you  have  not  a  bad  opinion 
of  me  now  ?"  replied  he,  fixing  his  eyes  upon  me. 

"  No,  certainly  not ;  you  have  released  those  I  pleaded  for, 
and  I  am  very  grateful  to  you  for  having  done  so." 

"  You  have  made  me  do  what  I  never  did  before,"  replied 
he,  raising  himself  and  sitting  with  his  feet  on  the  deck. 

"  I  know  I  have ;  I  have  made  you  spare  those  of  my 
colour." 

"  I  did  not  mean  that ;  you  have  irritated  me  so  as  to  make 
me  break  my  oath." 

"  That  was  my  own  doing — my  fault  rather  than  yours.  I 
had  no  right  to  speak  as  I  did  ;  but  I  was  in  a  great  rage,  and 
that  is  the  truth.  I  do  believe  that  if  I  had  had  a  pistol  in 
my  hand  I  should  have  fired  it  at  you ;  so  we  may  cry  quits 
on  that  score." 

"I  am  angry  with  myself — the  more  so,  that  I  little 
imagined  that  you  would  have  remained  with  me  after  my 
breaking  my  oath.  Either  you  must  have  felt  great 
interest  about  those  people,  or  you  must  have  great  confi- 
dence in  me,  a  confidence  which  I  have  proved  that  I  do 
not  deserve." 

"  That  you  did  forget  yourself,  I  grant ;  but  I  have  that 
confidence  that  it  will  be  a  warning  to  you,  and  you  will  not 
forget  yourself  again ;  I  therefore  remain  with  you  with  per- 
fect confidence,  feeling  I  am  quite  safe,  until  you  think  proper 
to  give  me  my  liberty." 

"  You  still  wish  to  leave  me  then  ?  " 

"  I  have  relations  and  friends — a  profession  to  follow. 
What  can  I  gain  by  remaining  here,  except  your  friendship  ? 

148 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

I  never  will  be  a  pirate,  you  may  be  assured.     I  wish  from 
my  heart  that  you  were  not  one." 

"  And  who  should  be  pirates  if  the  blacks  are  not?"  replied 
Vincent.  "  Have  they  not  the  curse  of  Cain  ?  Are  they  not 
branded  ?  Ought  not  their  hands  to  be  against  every  one  but 
their  own  race  ?  What  is  the  Arab  but  the  pirate  of  the 
desert — the  sea  of  sand  ?  Black  is  the  colour  for  pirates. 
Even  the  white  pirates  feel  the  truth  of  this,  or  why  do  they 
hoist  the  black  flag  ?  " 

"  At  all  events,  it's  a  profession  that  seldom  ends  well." 

"And  what  matter  does  that  make?  We  can  die  but  once 
— I  care  not  how  soon.  I  have  not  found  life  so  very  sweet 
as  to  care  for  it,  I  assure  you.  Cato,  there  is  but  one  thing 
sweet  in  existence — one  feeling  that  never  clogs  and  never 
tires,  and  that  is  revenge." 

"  Are  not  love  and  friendship  sweet  ?  I  certainly  know 
nothing  about  the  first." 

"  I  know  no  more  than  you  do  of  it.  They  say  friendship 
is  the  more  lasting ;  and  as  a  proof  of  how  lasting  that  is,  I 
snapped  my  pistol  at  you,  and  had  it  not  missed  fire  should 
have  killed  the  only  one  for  whom  I  ever  felt  friendship  in 
this  world." 

u  That's  a  bad  habit  you  have  of  carrying  your  pistols  at  all 
times ;  they  are  too  handy,  and  give  no  time  for  reflection. 
Only  suppose,  now,  you  had  blown  out  my  brains,  you  would 
have  been  very  sorry." 

"Cato,  I  have  many  lives  on  my  hands,  and  hope  to  have 
many  more  before  I  die.  I  never  have  repented  one  act  of 
my  life — a  murder,  as  you  may  call  it — and  I  never  shall. 
But  I  tell  you  frankly,  that  had  I  destroyed  you  in  my 
passion,  I  should  have  been  a  miserable  man.  I  know  it ;  I 
feel  it" 

"  Let's  say  no  more  about  it ;  that  I'm  just  as  glad  as  you 
are  that  you  did  not  kill  me,  I  assure  you  most  positively. 
Here's  Jose  coming  with  the  dinner." 

Here  ended  our  conversation,  which  I  have  given  just  to 
show  the  peculiar  disposition  of  this  extraordinary  man,  with 
whom  I  had  become  domesticated.  Verily  and  truly  was  I, 
as  he  said,  "  like  a  little  dog  in  the  cage  of  a  tiger,"  and,  from, 
familiarity,  just  as  bold  as  dogs  become  under  such  peculiar 
circumstances. 

149 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

Before  morning  we  were  again  at  anchor  in  the  Rendezvous 
Bay,  and  the  tents  were  pitched  as  before.  We  remained 
there  for  more  than  a  fortnight,  during  which  my  intimacy 
with  the  captain  was  even  greater  than  before.  He  appeared 
to  endeavour  to  do  all  in  his  power  to  restore  my  confidence 
in  him,  and  he  succeeded.  Still  I  must  say,  that  I  began 
to  be  weary  of  this  sort  of  life.  My  dreams  were  ever  of 
murder  and  bloodshed;  and  more  than  once  I  felt  inclined 
to  make  my  escape :  but  I  had  promised,  and  the  remem- 
brance of  my  promise  prevented  me. 

One  afternoon  the  man  on  the  look-out  made  the  usual 
signal  for  a  vessel  in  sight.  Vincent  went  up  immediately, 
and  I  followed  him.  It  was  a  schooner,  very  long,  with  very 
taut,  raking  masts.  Vincent  examined  her  for  some  time  and 
then  gave  me  the  glass,  and  asked  me  what  I  thought  of  her. 
I  replied,  that  I  thought  she  was  a  man-of-war  schooner. 

"  You  are  right,"  said  he,  "  I  know  her  well ;  it  is  the 
Arrow,  and  she  has  come  out  to  cruise  for  me.  This  is 
the  third  time  that  she  has  been  sent  after  me.  Once  we 
exchanged  a  few  broadsides,  but  another  man-of-war  hove 
in  sight,  and  I  was  compelled  to  leave  her.  She  shall  not 
accuse  me  of  running  from  her  now  that  she  is  alone,  and  by 
to-morrow  morning  I  will  give  her  the  opportunity  of  making 
the  report  of  my  capture  if  she  can ;  but  if  I  capture  her  you 
may  guess  the  rest." 

We  remained  till  nearly  sunset,  watching  the  motions  of 
the  schooner.  Vincent  then  went  down  the  hill  to  give  orders 
for  sailing,  leaving  me  with  the  glass.  I  again  dii'ected  it  to 
the  schooner,  and  perceived  that  she  was  making  signals. 

Then  she  is  not  alone,  thought  I ;  and  Vincent  may  not 
capture  her  quite  so  easily  as  he  expects.  I  looked  in  vain 
for  the  other  vessel ;  I  could  not  see  her ;  I  therefore  con- 
cluded that  she  must  be  somewhere  under  the  land,  and 
hidden  by  it  from  my  sight. 

The  signals  were  repeated  till  dusk,  when  I  went  down 
the  hill,  and  found  that  all  was  bustle  and  activity,  Vincent 
superintending  himself  the  preparations  for  sailing.  I  did 
not  interrupt  him  to  tell  him  that  I  had  perceived  the 
schooner  making  signals.  I  had  an  idea,  somehow  or  an- 
other, that  I  should  regain  my  liberty,  and  was  as  anxious 
as  Vincent  that  the  Stella  should  be  under  weigh. 

150 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

Before  ten  o'clock  everything  was  ready.  Vincent  had 
told  his  men  that  the  English  man-of-war  schooner  was  out- 
side, and  that  he  intended  to  fight  her ;  the  men  appeared 
delighted  at  the  proposal,  and  as  resolute  and  determined  as 
men  should  be. 

As  soon  as  the  Stella  was  clear  of  the  bay,  everything 
was  got  ready  for  action,  and  I  must  say  that  nothing  could 
be  more  rapid  or  more  quiet  than  their  movements.  We 
stood  out  until  we  had  gained  an  offing  of  five  miles, 
and  then  made  a  reach  along  the  shore  towards  the 
Havannah. 

As  soon  as  the  Stella  had  laid  her  head  towards  the 
Havannah,  Vincent  came  down  below.  I  had  latterly  slept 
on  one  of  the  cabin  sofas,  but  had  this  night  remained  with 
my  clothes  on,  for  I  was  not  sure  that  we  might  not  be  in 
action  before  the  morning. 

The  Arrow  had  gained  the  knowledge  that  our  Rendezvous 
Bay  was  somewhere  about  the  east  end  of  the  island,  and 
had  cruised  accordingly,  but  could  not  discover  it. 

Vincent  threw  himself  on  the  other  sofa,  and  I  pretended 
to  be  asleep,  as  I  did  not  wish  to  enter  into  conversation  with 
him ;  I  was  too  much  occupied  with  my  own  thoughts,  and 
felt  that  there  could  be  nothing  in  common  between  us  at 
such  a  moment.  He  was  very  soon  asleep,  and  he  talked 
in  his  sleep.  He  was  evidently  in  action,  and  gave  his  orders, 
every  now  and  then  speaking  a  few  words  aloud,  and  then 
it  appeared  as  if  he  had  taken  the  English  schooner,  and 
that  he  was  fulfilling  his  vows  of  retaliation.  I  shuddered  as 
I  heard  the  half-broken  menaces — the  exulting  laugh  which 
occasionally  burst  from  his  lips.  I  arose  and  watched  him 
as  he  slept ;  his  hands  were  continually  in  motion,  and  his 
fists  clenched,  and  he  smiled.  Merciful  Heaven  !  what  a 
tale  of  savage  cruelty  that  smile  foretold  if  he  were  success- 
ful !  I  knelt  down  and  prayed  that  he  might  be  foiled  in  his 
endeavours.  As  I  rose,  I  heard  a  noise  and  talking  on  deck, 
and  one  of  the  mates  came  down  into  the  cabin. 

"  How  does  she  bear  ?  "  cried  Vincent,  starting  up  from  his 
couch,  as  if  he  instinctively  knew  what  was  to  be  told. 

"Two  points  on  the  weather  bow,  captain,"  replied  the 
negro.  "  I  think  she  has  her  foresheet  to  windward/' 

«  What's  the  time  ?  " 

151 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

"  One  bell  in  the  morning  watch ;  it  will  be  daylight  in 
an  hour." 

"Very  good.     How  far  is  she  off?  " 

"About  four  miles." 

"  Pipe  to  quarters ;  I  will  be  up  directly." 

Vincent  took  down  his  sword  and  buckled  on  his  belt ; 
then  his  pistols,  which,  after  having  examined  the  primings, 
he  fixed  in  his  girdle.  I  still  remained  as  if  asleep,  and  as  he 
was  going,  out  of  the  cabin,  he  turned  to  me.  "He  sleeps, 
poor  boy ;  well,  why  should  I  wake  him  ? — the  guns  will 
rouse  him  up  soon  enough."  So  saying,  he  went  on  deck. 

I  considered  what  I  should  do.  To  be  on  deck  was  hardly 
safe  for  me  as  a  white  person ;  and,  indeed,  what  business 
had  I  there  ?  Why  should  I  expose  myself  to  the  shot  of 
my  countrymen,  or  run  the  risk  of  losing  my  life  from  the 
rage  of  the  negroes  !  I  therefore  resolved  on  remaining  where 
I  was — at  all  events,  for  the  present. 

The  negroes  now  came  into  the  cabin,  for  the  after-maga- 
zine was  under  the  fore-part  of  it.  The  hatch  was  taken  up, 
the  screens  let  down,  and  all  was  dark.  I  had  nothing  to  do 
but  to  catch  now  and  then  the  commands  given  by  the  negro 
captain,  and  draw  my  inference  as  to  what  was  taking  place. 

Although  for  the  first  half-hour  I  gained  little  information, 
after  that  time  had  elapsed  I  knew  what  was  going  on.  I 
heard  a  voice  hailing  us  from  another  vessel,  and  the  reply 
of  the  Stella  was  a  broadside.  There  could  be  no  mistake  in 
that.  The  Stella  was  then  put  about,  and  the  other  broad- 
side given  without  a  return  from  her  opponent.  At  last  it 
came,  and,  as  the  shot  whizzed  over  or  tore  up  the  planking 
of  the  gunwales,  I  certainly  did  feel  very  strangely.  I  had 
never  been  in  action  before,  and  the  sensation  was,  I  confess, 
that  of  alarm  ;  but  it  was  so  mingled  with  curiosity  as  to 
what  was  going  on,  that  it  was  impossible  to  say  what  my 
feelings  were.  I  longed  to  be  on  deck,  and  certainly  would 
have  been,  if  I  had  thought  that  I  was  safe  with  the  pirate 
crew;  that  alone  prevented  me.  I  remained,  therefore,  in  a 
most  unpleasant  state  of  ignorance  and  suspense. 

The  broadsides  were  now  exchanged  rapidly,  and  the 
wounded,  brought  down  between  decks  every  minute,  told 
me  that  the  action  was  severe.  The  orders  of  the  negro 
captain  were  occasionally  heard — they  were  cool  and  deter- 

152 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

mined.  Every  minute  some  fresh  manoeuvre  was  executed, 
and  the  guns  still  worked  as  if  there  was  nothing  else  to 
attend  to.  At  last  the  daylight  came  down  the  hatchway, 
and  I  left  the  cabin  and  walked  forward  between  decks ;  I 
found  the  deck  strewed  with  wounded  and  dying  men,  calling 
for  water.  I  was  glad  to  be  able  to  do  something  which  I 
could  consistently  do,  and  I  brought  water  from  the  cask  and 
gave  it  to  them,  one  after  another,  as  fast  as  I  could  ;  I  think 
there  were  at  least  thirty  men  lying  about  the  lower  deck, 
some  in  pools  of  their  own  blood,  and  sinking  fast,  for  there 
was  no  surgeon  on  board  of  the  Stella. 

Some  more  wounded  men  were  brought  down,  and  a 
conversation  took  place  between  one  of  the  mates  of  the 
schooner,  who  was  hurt,  and  the  men  who  brought  down  the 
wounded,  and  listening  to  them,  I  found  that  at  daylight 
they  had  discovered  that  an  English  frigate  was  under  all 
sail,  beating  up  to  them,  and  about  five  miles  to  leeward ; 
that  in  consequence,  the  Stella  was  now  carrying  on  a  running 
fight  with  the  schooner  (who  was  to  windward  of  her),  and 
trying  to  escape.  This  accounted  for  the  signals  which  I 
had  perceived  that  the  English  schooner  was  making  the 
evening  before.  My  anxiety  at  this  intelligence  was  natu- 
rally much  increased.  The  Stella  was  trying  to  escape,  and 
her  sailing  powers  were  so  remarkable,  that  I  was  afraid  she 
would  succeed. 

The  action  was  still  continued  between  the  two  schooners, 
but  now  the  shot  no  longer  hit  the  Stella,  nor  were  there  any 
more  wounded  men  brought  down ;  it  was  evident  that  the 
two  vessels  were  now  firing  at  each  other's  masts  and  rigging, 
the  one  to  prevent,  and  the  other  to  effect  her  escape,  by  dis- 
mantling her  antagonist.  I  felt  as  if  I  could  have  given  my 
left  hand  to  have  gone  on  deck.  I  waited  half-an-hour  more, 
and  then,  curiosity  conquering  my  fear,  I  crept  gradually  up 
the  fore-ladder.  The  men  were  working  the  guns  to  wind- 
ward, the  lee-side  of  the  deck  was  clear,  and  I  stepped 
forward,  and  got  into  the  head,  where  I  could  see  both  to 
windward  and  to  leeward.  To  leeward  I  perceived  the 
frigate,  about  four  miles  distant,  with  every  stretch  of  canvas 
that  she  could  set  on  a  wind ;  I  knew  her  directly  to  be  the 
Calliope,  my  own  ship,  and  my  heart  beat  quick  at  the  chance 
of  being  once  more  on  board  of  her. 

153 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

To  windward,  as  the  smoke  occasionally  cleared  away,  I 
saw  the  Arrow  schooner  close  hauled  on  the  same  tack  as  the 
Stella,  and  distant  about  a  mile  ;  every  ten  seconds  the  smoke 
from  her  guns  booming  along  the  water's  surface,  and  the 
shot  whizzing  through  our  rigging ;  she  had  not  suffered 
much  from  our  fire :  her  sails  were  full  of  shot-holes,  it  is 
true,  but  her  spars  were  not  injured.  I  then  turned  my 
eyes  upon  the  masts  and  rigging  of  the  Stella :  apparently, 
the  damage  done  was  about  equal  to  that  received  by  the 
Arrow  ;  our  sails  were  torn,  but  our  spars  were  unscathed. 

The  water  was  smooth,  although  the  breeze  was  fresh,  and 
both  schooners  were  running  at  the  rate  of  six  or  seven  miles 
an  hour ;  but  the  Stella  had  evidently  the  advantage  of 
sailing,  and  fore-reached  upon  her  opponent.  I  perceived 
that  everything  depended  upon  a  lucky  hit,  and  having 
satisfied  myself  with  what  I  had  seen,  I  hastened  down 
below. 

For  more  than  half-an-hour  the  firing  continued  without 
advantage  on  either  side,  when  a  yell  was  given  by  the 
negro  crew,  and  I  heard  them  cry  on  the  deck  that  the 
Arrow's  foretop-mast  was  shot  away.  I  heard  the  voice  of 
Vincent  cheering  his  men,  and  telling  them  to  be  steady  in 
their  aim.  My  heart  sunk  at  the  intelligence,  and  I  sat 
down  on  a  chest. 

The  firing  now  slackened,  for  the  Stella  had  shot  ahead  of 
the  English  schooner,  and  the  negroes  on  deck  were  laughing 
and  in  high  good-humour.  For  a  few  minutes  the  firing 
ceased  altogether,  and  I  took  it  for  granted  that  the  Stella 
had  left  her  pursuers  far  behind  ;  when,  of  a  sudden,  a  whole 
broadside  of  guns  were  poured  into  us,  and  there  was  a 
terrible  crashing  and  confusion  on  the  deck. 

I  ran  up  the  ladder  to  see  what  had  happened.  It  ap- 
peared that  as  the  Stella  was  crossing  the  bows  of  the  Arrow, 
the  latter  had,  as  a  last  chance,  thrown  up  in  the  wind,  and 
discharged  her  whole  broadside  into  us :  two  shots  had 
struck  our  mainmast,  which  had  fallen  by  the  board.  I 
perceived  at  once  that  the  Stella's  chance  was  over — nothing 
could  save  her ;  she  might  resist  the  schooner,  but  could  not 
escape  the  frigate. 

I  ran  down  below,  and  went  into  the  cabin ;  I  was  afraid 
that  the  negroes  might  perceive  the  joy  in  my  countenance. 

154 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

I  heard  the  angry  voice  of  the  negro  captain — I  heard  him 
stamping  with  rage,  and  I  thanked  God  that  I  was  not  by 
his  side.  The  wreck  of  the  mast  was  soon  cleared  away ;  I 
heard  him  address  his  negroes,  point  out  to  them  that  it  was 
better  to  die  like  men  at  the  guns,  than  swing  at  the  yard- 
arm  like  dogs.  Some  of  them  came  down  and  took  on 
deck  a  quarter-cask  of  spirits,  which  was  plentifully  supplied 
to  all. 

The  English  schooner  had  borne  down  upon  us,  and  the 
action  now  commenced  at  pistol-shot.  Never  shall  I  forget 
what  took  place  for  nearly  three-quarters  of  an  hour;  the 
negroes,  most  of  them  intoxicated,  fought  with  rage  and 
fury  indescribable — their  shouts — their  screams — their  cursing 
and  blasphemy,  mingled  with  the  loud  report  of  the  guns, 
the  crashing  of  the  spars  and  bulwarks,  the  occasional  cry  of 
the  wounded,  and  the  powerful  voice  of  Vincent.  It  was 
terrific  between  decks ;  the  smoke  was  so  thick  that  those 
who  came  down  for  the  powder  could  not  see,  but  felt  their 
way  to  the  screen.  Every  two  seconds,  I  heard  the  men 
come  aft,  toss  off  the  can  of  liquor,  and  throw  it  on  the  deck, 
when  they  went  to  resume  their  labour  at  their  guns. 

At  the  end  of  the  time  I  have  mentioned,  the  shot  flew 
from  to  leeward,  as  well  as  from  to  windward :  the  frigate 
had  got  within  range,  and  was  pouring  in  her  broadside ; 
still  the  firing  and  the  shouting  on  the  deck  of  the  Stella 
continued,  but  the  voices  were  fewer ;  and  as  the  firing  of 
the  frigate  became  more  severe,  they  became  fainter  and 
fainter;  and  at  last  but  an  occasional  gun  was  fired  from 
our  decks. 

I  became  so  uneasy  that  I  could  remain  where  I  was  no 
longer ;  I  went  forward  on  the  lower  deck  again,  and 
tumbling  over  the  wounded  and  the  dead,  I  crept  up  the 
fore-ladder.  I  looked  over  the  coombings  of  the  hatchway  ; 
the  decks  were  clear  of  smoke,  for  not  a  gun  was  being  fired. 
Merciful  Heaven  !  what  a  scene  of  slaughter !  Many  of  the 
guns  were  dismantled,  and  the  decks  were  strewn  with  the 
splinters  and  plankings  of  the  gunwale,  broken  spars,  and 
negroes  lying  dead,  or  drunk,  in  all  directions — some  cut  and 
torn  to  pieces,  others  whole,  but  mixed  up  with  the  fragments 
of  other  bodies :  such  a  scene  of  blood  I  have  never  since 
witnessed.  Out  of  the  whole  crew,  I  do  not  think  there 

155 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

were  twenty  men  left  unhurt,  and  these  were  leaning  or 
lying  down,  exhausted  with  fatigue  or  overcome  with  liquor, 
on  various  parts  of  the  deck. 

The  fighting  was  over ;  there  was  not  one  man  at  his  gun  ; 
and  of  those  who  remained  still  alive,  one  or  two  fell,  while  I 
was  looking  up,  from  the  shot  which  continued  every  minute 
to  pierce  the  bulwarks.  Where  was  Vincent  ?  I  dared  not 
go  aft  to  see.  I  dared  not  venture  to  meet  his  eye.  I  dived 
down  below  again,  and"  returned  aft  to  the  cabin ;  there  was 
no  more  demand  for  powder ;  not  a  soul  was  to  be  seen 
abaft.  Suddenly  the  after-hatchway  grating  was  thrown  off; 
I  heard  some  one  descend ;  I  knew  it  was  the  hurried  tread 
of  the  negro  captain.  It  was  so  dark,  and  the  cabin  so  full 
of  smoke,  that,  coming  from  the  light,  he  did  not  perceive 
me,  although  I  could  distinguish  him.  He  was  evidently 
badly  wounded,  and  tottered  in  his  walk.  He  came  into  the 
cabin,  put  his  hand  to  his  girdle,  and  felt  for  his  pistol,  and 
then  he  commenced  pulling  down  the  screen,  which  was 
between  him  and  the  magazine.  His  intentions  were  evi- 
dent, which  were  to  blow  up  the  vessel. 

I  felt  that  I  had  not  a  moment  to  lose.  I  dashed  past 
him,  ran  up  the  ladder,  sprung  aft  to  the  taffrail,  and  dashed 
over  the  stern  into  the  sea.  I  was  still  beneath  the  surface, 
having  not  yet  risen  from  my  plunge,  when  I  heard  and  felt 
the  explosion — felt  it,  indeed,  so  powerfully,  that  it  almost 
took  away  my  senses ;  so  great  was  the  shock,  even  while  I 
was  under  the  water,  that  I  was  almost  insensible.  I  have 
a  faint  recollection  of  being  drawn  down  by  the  vortex  of 
the  sinking  vessel,  and  scrambling  my  way  to  the  surface  of 
the  water,  amidst  fragments  of  timbers  and  whirling  bodies. 
When  I  recovered  myself,  I  found  that  I  was  clinging  to  a 
portion  of  the  wreck,  in  a  sort  of  patch,  as  it  were,  upon  the 
deep  blue  water,  dark  as  ink,  and  strewed  with  splintered 
fragments. 

There  I  remained  some  minutes,  during  which  time  I 
gained  my  recollection :  I  looked  around  and  perceived  the 
Arrow  schooner,  lying  about  one  hundred  yards  off,  totally 
dismantled,  and  my  own  frigate  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  to 
leeward,  as  bright  and  as  fresh  as  if  she  had  just  been  re- 
fitted. I  observed  a  signal,  made  by  the  Calliope  to  the 
schooner,  which  was  answered.  I  looked  in  vain  towards 

156 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

the  schooner,  expecting  her  to  lower  down  a  boat.  The  fact 
was,  that  the  Calliope  had  made  the  signal  for  her  to  do  so, 
and  the  schooner  had  replied  that  she  had  no  boat  that 
could  swim.  I  then  perceived  that  the  frigate  had  lowered 
down  a  boat  which  was  pulling  towards  me,  and  I  considered 
myself  as  safe. 

In  a  few  minutes,  during  which  I  had  quite  recovered 
myself,  the  boat  pulled  into  the  mass  of  floating  fragments, 
and  .then  the  sailors  ceased  rowing,  to  look  about  them. 
They  perceived  and  pulled  towards  me — hoisted  me  in  over 
the  gunwale,  and  laid  me  at  the  bottom  of  the  boat.  I 
scrambled  on  my  feet,  and  would  have,  gone  aft,  when 
the  midshipman  of  the  boat  said  to  the  men,  "  Pass  that 
cursed  young  pirate  forward  —  don't  let  him  come  aft 
here." 

"Oh,  oh,  Mr.  Lascelles,"  thinks  I — "so  you  don't  know 
me ;  you  shall  know  me  by-and-by."  I  quite  forgot  that  I 
was  stained  black,  till  one  of  the  men,  who  seized  me  by  the 
collar  to  pass  me  forward,  said,  "  Hand  along  the  nigger. 
He's  a  young  one  for  the  gallows,  anyhow." 

They  handed  me  forward,  and  I  did  not  choose  to  say  who 
I  was.  My  love  of  fun  returned  the  moment  that  I  was 
again  with  my  shipmates.  After  looking  well  round  and 
ascertaining  that  I  was  the  only  one  left  alive,  they  pulled 
back  to  the  frigate ;  and  the  midshipman  went  up  to  report. 
I  was  handed  up  the  side,  and  remained  at  the  break  of  the 
gangway,  while  the  captain  and  first  lieutenant  were  talking 
with  Mr.  Lascelles,  during  which  Mr.  Tommy  Dott  came  up 
to  me,  and,  putting  his  finger  to  his  left  ear,  gave  a  cluck 
with  his  tongue,  as  much  as  to  say,  "You'll  be  hanged,  my 
good  fellow." 

I  could  not  help  giving  the  first  mason's  sign  which  I 
taught  to  Mr.  Green,  in  return  for  Tommy's  communication  ; 
to  wit,  putting  my  thumb  to  my  nose,  and  extending  my 
fingers  out  towards  him ;  at  which  Tommy  Dott  expressed 
much  indignation,  and  called  me  a  precious  impudent  varmin. 
The  men  who  were  near  us  laughed,  and  said  that  I  was 
game  at  all  events.  No  one  knew  me ;  for  not  only  was  my 
face  well  stained,  but  I  was  covered  from  head  to  foot  with 
a  solution  of  salt  water  and  gunpowder,  which  made  me  still 
more  indistinguishable. 

157 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

I  had  remained  at  the  gangway  about  two  minutes,  when 
the  first  lieutenant  said,  "  Bring  the  prisoner  here." 

I  immediately  went  aft;  and  as  soon  as  I  was  standing 
before  Captain  Delmar  and  the  first  lieutenant — (and  behind 
were  all  the  officers,  anxious  to  hear  what  I  had  to  disclose) 
• — I  put  my  hand  to  my  head,  having  no  hat,  as  may  be 
supposed,  and  said,  "  Come  on  board,  sir,"  reporting  myself, 
as  is  usually  the  custom  of  officers  when  they  return  from 
leave  or  duty. 

"  Good  heavens  !  that  voice  ! — why,  who  are  you  ?  "  cried 
Captain  Delmar,  starting  back  a  pace. 

"  Mr.  Keene,  sir,"  replied  I,  again  putting  my  hand  to  my 
head. 

Bob  Cross,  who  was,  with  many  of  the  seamen,  close  to  me, 
quite  forgetting  etiquette,  ran  up  and  caught  me  round  the 
waist,  looking  me  full  in  the  face  :  "  It  is  him,  sir — it  is  him  ! 
Huzzah  !  huzzah  !  "  and  all  the  seamen  joined  in  the  huzzahs, 
which  were,  however,  mingled  with  a  great  deal  of  laughter. 

ft  Merciful  Heaven !  and  so  you  have  been  blown  up  in 
that  vessel,"  said  the  first  lieutenant,  coming  tome,  with  great 
kindness.  "  Are  you  much  burnt  ?  Why,  he's  quite  black — 
Where's  the  surgeon  ?  " 

"  Aren't  hurt  at  all,  sir,"  replied  I. 

"  Let  him  be  taken  down  and  examined,"  said  the  captain 
with  some  emotion ;  "  if  not  hurt,  let  him  come  into  the 
cabin  to  me." 

The  captain  went  down  the  ladder,  and  then  I  shook 
hands  with  Tommy  Dott  and  all  the  other  officers  and  mid- 
shipmen ;  and  I  will  say  that  my  reappearance  appeared  to 
give  unusual  satisfaction.  I  went  down  into  the  gun-room 
and  was  stripped.  They  were  much  surprised  to  find  that  I 
was  not  hurt,  and  even  more  when  they  discovered  that  I 
was  black  all  over,  and  that  washing  would  not  restore  my 
colour. 

"Why,  Keene,"  said  the  first  lieutenant,  "how  is  it  that 
you  have  changed  your  colour  ?  " 

"  Oh,  sir,  I've  been  playing  the  nigger  for  these  last  three 
months.  It  is  a  long  story,  but  I  will  go  with  you  to  the 
captain,  and  I  will  tell  it  there." 

As  soon  as  I  had  put  on  my  uniform,  I  went  up  with  Mr. 
Hippesley  to  the  cabin,  and  having,  at  the  captain's  request, 

158 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

taken  a  chair,  I  entered  into  a  full  explanation,  which  lasted 
more  than  an  hour. 

As  soon  as  I  had  finished,  Mr.  Hippesley,  who  had  plenty 
to  do  on  deck,  but  who  could  not  leave  until  he  had  heard 
my  story,  quitted  the  cabin,  and  I  found  myself  alone  with 
the  captain. 

"  I  must  say  that  I  gave  you  up  for  lost,"  said  Captain 
Delmar ;  "  the  boat's  crew  were  picked  up  the  next  morning, 
and  reported  that  you  were  drowned  in  the  cabin  of  the 
vessel.  Scoundrels,  to  desert  you  in  that  way." 

"  I  do  not  think  they  were  to  blame,  sir — the  water  being 
so  high  in  the  cabin,  and  my  not  answering  to  their  call." 

"  But  did  they  call  you  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir ;  I  heard  them  call  when  I  was  half  asleep,  and 
I  did  not  answer." 

"  Well,  I  am  glad  to  hear  you  say  so ;  but  so  convinced 
have  we  been  of  your  loss,  that  I  have  written  to  your 
mother  on  the  subject.  Strange,  this  is  the  second  time  that 
she  has  been  distressed  in  this  way.  You  appear  to  have  a 
charmed  life,  Mr.  Keene." 

"  I  hope  I  shall  long  live  to  do  credit  to  your  protection, 
sir,"  replied  I. 

"I  hope  so  too,  Mr.  Keene,"  replied  the  captain,  very 
kindly ;  "  I  sincerely  hope  so  too.  In  all  this  business  you 
have  conducted  yourself  very  manfully.  It  does  you  great 
credit,  and  your  mother  ought  to  be  proud  of  you." 

"  Thanky,  sir,"  replied  I,  for  I  was  overjoyed  at  such  lan- 
guage from  Captain  Delmar,  and  I  thought  to  myself,  if  he 
says  my  mother  ought  to  be  proud  of  me,  he  feels  so  himself. 

"  Of  course,  you  cannot  do  duty  under  such  a  masquerade 
as  you  are  at  present,"  continued  the  captain,  who  referred 
to  my  stained  skin.  "  I  presume  it  will  wear  off  by-and- 
by.  You  will  dine  with  me  to-day ;  now  you  may  go  to  your 
messmates." 

I  left  the  cabin,  bowing  very  respectfully,  and  pleased  with 
what  had  occurred.  I  hastened  to  join  my  messmates,  not, 
however,  until  I  had  shaken  hands  with  Bob  Cross,  who 
appeared  as  delighted  to  see  me  as  if  he  was  my  father. 

I  leave  the  reader  to  imagine  the  sort  of  levee  which  I 
held  both  on  the  quarter-deck  and  below.  Mr.  Hippesley 
could  not  get  any  of  the  officers  to  mind  their  duty.  I 

159 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

certainly  was  for  two  or  three  days  the  greatest  personage 
in  the  ship.  After  that,  I  had  time  to  tell  the  whole  of  my 
history  quietly  to  Bob  Cross. 

Bob  Cross,  when  he  had  heard  me  without  interruption, 
said,  "  Well,  Master  Keene,  there's  no  telling  what  a  man's 
born  to  till  after  he's  dead,  and  then  it's  all  known :  but  it 
does  appear  to  me  that  you  are  born  to  something  out  of  the 
common.  Here  you  are,  not  sixteen,  not  only  playing  a 
man's  part,  but  playing  it  manfully.  You  have  been  put  in 
most  difficult  situations,  and  always  have  fallen  upon  your 
feet  in  the  end.  You  appear  to  have  an  old  head  upon  very 
young  shoulders ;  at  one  moment  to  be  a  scampish  boy,  full 
of  mischief,  and  at  another  a  resolute,  cool,  and  clever  man. 
Sarcumstances,  they  say,  make  men,  and  so  it  appears  in  you  ; 
but  it  does  seem  strange  for  one  and  the  same  lad  to  be 
stealing  the  purser's  plums  at  one  moment,  and  twisting  a 
devil  of  a  nigger  pirate  round  his  finger  the  very  next;  and 
then  you  have  had  such  escapes — twice  reported  dead  at 
headquarters,  and  twice  come  to  life  again.  Now,  Master 
Keene,  I've  very  good  news  to  tell  you ;  you  don't  know 
how  high  you  stand  with  the  captain  and  officers.  There's  a 
feeling  of  envy  against  a  lad  who  goes  ahead  (as  well  as  a 
man),  which  blinds  people  to  his  real  merits ;  but  when  he 
is  supposed  to  be  dead  and  gone,  and  no  longer  in  the  way 
of  others,  then  every  one  tells  the  real  truth ;  and  I  do 
assure  you  that  not  only  the  officers,  but  the  captain  himself, 
grieved  most  sorely  at  y9ur  loss.  I  saw  the  captain's  eyes 
wink  more  than  once  when  speaking  of  you,  and  the  first 
lieutenant  was  always  telling  the  other  micls  that  he  had  not 
one  worth  his  salt,  now  that  you  were  gone.  And  now  that 
you  have  come  back  and  gained  so  much  credit  for  what  has 
passed,  I  do  really  think  that  the  captain  is  proud  of  you.  I 
overheard  a  little  conversation  between  the  captain  and  first 
lieutenant  the  day  you  came  on  board,  after  you  had  been  in 
the  cabin  telling  your  adventures,  and  all  that  I  can  say  is, 
that  the  game  is  in  your  own  hands,  if  you  only  play  your  cards 
well,  and  never  let  Captain  Delmar  have  the  least  idea  that 
you  know  that  you  have  such  claims  upon  him." 

"That  I  certainly  will  not/'  replied  I,  "as  it  might  check 
his  feeling  towards  me." 

"  Exactly  ;  I've  often  thought  about  you,  and  now  that  I  like 

160 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

you  so  much,  I  watch  the  captain  for  your  sake,  and  listen  par- 
ticularly to  what  he  says,  after  dinner  especially,  when  I've  the 
opportunity  ;  for,  you  see,  when  gentlemen  drink  wine,  they 
speak  more  freely  as  to  what  they  really  think,  just  as  we  fore- 
mast-men do  when  we  get  our  grog  on  board.  The  greatest 
misfortune  which  could  happen  to  you  in  your  position  would 
be,  the  captain  marrying  and  having  children  on  the  right 
side  of  the  blanket,  as  they  call  it.  Now,  I've  often  heard  the 
captain  express  a  dislike  to  matrimony,  and  laugh  at  people's 
getting  married,  which  has  pleased  me  very  much  for  your  sake, 
Master  Percival.  You  see,  a  man  don't  think  much  of  marry- 
ing after  forty,  and  the  captain  must  be  fifty,  if  not  more." 

"  Yes  ;  but  if  his  brother  dies — and  he  is  a  very  infirm  man 
— the  captain  will  then  be  Viscount  de  Verseley,  and  inherit 
very  large  estates,  and  then  he  will  marry  to  have  an  heir  to 
the  title  and  estates,  even  if  there  is  no  love  in  the  case." 

"So  he  may,"  replied  Cross — "there's  no  saying;  but  still, 
even  if  he  does,  it  ain't  certain  that  he  has  a  family  ;  chickens 
must  not  be  counted  before  they  are  hatched.  All  you  have  to 
pray  for  then  is,  that  the  brother  may  prove  as  tough  as  our  old 
admirals,  whose  senses  get  tired  of  staying  any  longer  in  their 
bodies,  and  leave  them  long  before  their  hulks  are  worn  out." 

"Why  do  admirals  live  so  long?" 

"  Well,  I  suppose  it  is  for  the  same  reason  that  salt  meat 
keeps  so  much  longer  than  fresh  ;  they  have  been  forty  or  fifty 
years  with  the  salt  spray  washing  in  their  faces  and  wetting 
their  jackets,  and  so  in  time,  d'ye  see,  they  become  as  it  were 
pickled  with  brine.  Talking  about  that,  how  long  will  it  be 
before  you  get  that  tanning  off  you  ?" 

"  I  don't  know ;  but  as  the  captain  says  I'm  to  do  no  duty 
while  it  lasts,  I  hope  it  won't  wear  off  too  soon." 

"  Spoken  like  a  midshipman.  Now  take  my  advice :  al- 
though not  ordered  to  your  duty,  come  up  on  deck  and  take 
your  spyglass." 

"  I've  lost  it,  unfortunately.  That  was  a  good  glass,  for  it 
saved  my  life." 

"  Yes,  it  turned  out  as  good  for  you  as  a  freemason's  sign, 
which  is  more  than  Mr.  Green  can  say.  I  don't  think  he'll  ever 
make  a  sailor — he'd  better  bear  up  for  clerk,  and  then  he 
might  do  very  well  for  a  purser  by-and-by.  There's  eight  bells, 
Master  Keene,  so  I  think  we  had  better  say  good  night." 

1G1  L 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 


CHAPTER  XX 

-L  HE  Arrow  schooner  had  suffered  very  severely  in  the  con- 
test, having  lost  her  commanding  officer  and  thirteen  men 
killed  and  wounded ;  indeed,  had  not  the  Calliope  been  at 
hand,  it  was  the  general  opinion  that  the  Stella  would  have 
overpowered  her,  notwithstanding  that  the  latter  had  lost 
her  mainmast ;  for  the  Arrow  was  completely  dismantled,  and 
would  not  have  been  able  to  have  made  sail. 

The  Calliope  sent  her  carpenters  and  best  seamen  on  board 
to  repair  her  damages,  and  the  next  day  we  stood  away  for 
Port  Royal,  Jamaica,  to  announce  the  destruction  of  the 
pirate  vessel. 

In  the  morning  Captain  Delmar  sent  for  me. 

"  Mr.  Keene,  as  you  cannot  do  duty  for  the  present,  and  as 
I  do  not  wish  you  to  be  idle,  I  think  you  had  better  pay  a 
little  attention  to  navigation.  You  send  in  your  day's  work, 
I  perceive,  but  I  suppose  you  have  never  regularly  gone 
through  a  course  of  study." 

"  No,  sir,"  replied  I ;  "  I  fudge  my  day's  work,  and  I  should 
be  very  glad  to  learn  navigation  properly." 

"So  I  presume.  Well,  then,  I  have  spoken  with  Mr. 
Smith,  the  master,  who  has  promised  me  to  give  you  the 
necessary  instruction.  "  You  will  commence  to-morrow ;  you 
can  sit  at  the  table  in  the  fore-cabin,  where  you  will  have 
nothing  to  distract  your  attention.  You  may  go  now." 

I  bowed  and  left  the  cabin,  and  meeting  Bob  Cross  on  the 
main  deck,  I  told  him  what  the  captain  had  said. 

"  I'm  glad  of  it,  Master  Keene ;  it  shows  that  the  captain 
does  now  take  a  strong  interest  in  you.  He  has  never  taken 
any  trouble  of  that  kind  with  any  midshipman  before.  It 
will  be  of  great  service  to  you,  so  pay  attention  ;  it  will  please 
the  captain  if  the  master  gives  a  good  report  of  you.  Who 
knows  but  you  may  be  sent  away  in  a  prize,  and  I  sent  with 
you  to  take  care  of  you.  Wouldn't  that  be  a  capital  spree  ?  " 

The  next  day  I  commenced  accordingly,  under  the  tuition 
of  the  master,  and  as  I  had  not  Tommy  Dott  to  play  with,  I 
gave  satisfaction,  and  continued  to  do  so  until  our  arrival  at 

162 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

Port  Royal,  when  the  captain  went  up  to  the  admiral's,  stat- 
ing all  the  particulars  of  the  action,  and,  by  way  of  sequel, 
my  adventures  on  board  of  the  pirate  vessel.  The  admiral 
was  so  much  interested  that  he  requested  Captain  Delmar  to 
bring  me  on  shore  to  dine  with  him  the  next  day. 

I  was  still  very  black ;  but  that  made  me,  I  presume,  more 
interesting.  I  told  my  story  over  again,  and  it  afforded  great 
amusement  to  the  company,  particularly  to  the  ladies ;  and  I 
have  reason  to  believe  that  many  compliments  were  paid  me 
behind  my  back  by  the  admiral  and  officers  who  dined  there  ; 
at  all  events,  Captain  Delmar  was  much  pleased. 

My  strange  history  soon  got  wind.  The  governor  heard  of 
it,  and  asked  Captain  Delmar  about  it.  The  consequence 
was,  that  I  received  another  invitation  from  the  governor, 
and  Captain  Delmar  again  informed  me  that  I  might  tell  my 
own  story,  which  I  did,  modestly  as  before.  I  say  modestly, 
for  I  never  was  a  boaster  at  any  time ;  and  I  really  believe 
that  I  thought  much  less  of  the  circumstances  than  those  did 
to  whom  I  narrated  them.  I  had  at  that  time  but  one  wish, 
which  was  to  find  favour  in  the  sight  of  Captain  Delmar.  I 
felt  that  all  my  prospects  in  life  depended  upon  that ;  and 
aware  of  his  disposition,  and  the  deference  that  he  expected, 
humility  had  become,  as  it  were,  habitual. 

During  the  time  that  we  remained  at  Port  Royal  I  con- 
tinued my  studies  in  the  cabin,  and  as  the  captain  remained 
almost  altogether  on  shore,  I  found  the  run  of  the  cabin  very 
pleasant ;  but  as  I  had  no  inclination  to  study  the  whole  of 
the  day,  I  was  not  sorry  that  Tommy  Dott  was  very  often  my 
companion  in  the  cabin,  an  entrance  to  which,  as  he  could 
not  pass  the  sentry  at  the  door,  he  obtained  by  climbing  down 
the  mizzen  chains,  and  creeping  into  the  port  windows.  As 
soon  as  the  captain's  boat  was  seen  coming  off,  Tommy  was 
out  again  by  the  port  as  quick  as  a  monkey,  and  I  was  very 
studiously  poring  over  right-angled  triangles.  I  rose,  of 
course,  as  the  captain  entered  the  cabin.  "Sit  down,  Mr. 
Keene,"  he  would  say — "  sit  down ;  the  master  has  reported 
favourably  of  you,  and  I  am  glad  to  hear  of  it." 

One  morning,  when,  as  usual,  Tommy  Dott  had  come 
through  the  port,  we  were  so  busily  employed  with  a  cari- 
cature which  we  were  making  of  old  Culpepper,  that  the 
captain's  boat  came  alongside  without  our  being  aware  of  it, 

163 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

and  the  captain's  voice  speaking  to  the  first  lieutenant  as  he 
was  descending  the  after-ladder  was  the  first  intimation  we 
received  of  his  being  on  board. 

It  was  impossible  for  Tommy  Dott  to  escape  without  being 
seen  as  he  climbed  out.  The  table,  which  was  in  the  centre 
of  the  cabin,  was  covered  with  a  blue  cloth,  large  enough  for 
the  table  when  all  the  additional  leaves  were  put  to  it,  and 
in  its  present  reduced  size  the  cloth  fell  down  to  the  deck ; 
I  pointed  it  out  to  Tommy,  as  the  sentry's  hand  upon  the 
handle  of  the  door  announced  the  immediate  entrance  of  the 
captain,  and  he  darted  underneath  the  table,  that  he  might 
escape  detection,  intending  as  soon  as  the  captain  went  into 
the  after-cabin  to  make  his  retreat  by  the  cabin-door  or 
windows.  The  captain  entered,  and  I  rose,  as  usual,  from 
my  chair. 

"  Mr.  Keene,"  said  he,  "  I  have  occasion  to  speak  to  the 
first  lieutenant  on  important  private  business  ;  oblige  me  by 
leaving  the  cabin  till  that  is  done.  You  may  as  well  tell  Mr. 
Hippesley  that  I  wish  to  see  him." 

"  Yes,  sir,"  replied  I,  making  a  bow,  and  leaving  the  cabin. 
I  felt  very  much  alarmed  lest  Tommy  should  be  discovered 
in  his  hiding-place ;  and  after  the  captain  had  stated  that  he 
had  particular  business  with  the  first  lieutenant,  it  was  my 
duty,  knowing  that  Mr.  Dott  was  there,  to  have  said  so.  I 
hardly  knew  what  to  do,  or  how  to  act.  After  all,  it  was  no 
great  crime  as  it  stood.  Tommy  Dott  had  come  into  the 
cabin  without  leave,  and  had  concealed  himself;  but  if  I  was 
to  allow  Tommy  to  remain  there  and  listen  to  important  and 
particular  business,  evidently  of  a  secret  nature,  I  should  forfeit 
the  good  opinion  and  confidence  of  the  captain  ;  nevertheless, 
I  was  very  unwilling  to  betray  him.  I  was  dreadfully  puzzled, 
and  when  I  went  to  the  first  lieutenant  he  perceived  my 
confusion. 

"  Why,  what  is  the  matter  with  you,  Mr.  Keene  ? — you  look 
quite  frightened,"  said  he. 

"  Well,  sir,  I  am,"  replied  I ;  "  and  I  think  it  my  duty  to 
tell  you  why  I  am  so." 

I  then  informed  him  that  Tommy  Dott  was  under  the 
cabin  table,  and  would,  of  course,  hear  the  secret  communica- 
tions of  the  captain. 

"  You  have  done  very  right,  Mr.  Keene,  and  I  know  how 

164. 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

unpleasant  it  is  to  you  to  inform  against  your  messmate ;  but 
at  present  there  is  no  harm  done." 

He  then  laughed,  and  said,  "  However,  Mr.  Dott  shall 
never  know  that  you  have  said  anything  about  it,  and  I  will 
frighten  him  out  of  the  cabin  for  the  future." 

He  then  went  down  the  ladder,  and  into  the  fore-cabin.  I 
expected  that  he  would  have  discovered  Tommy  as  if  by 
accident,  but  such  was  not  the  case.  The  captain  had  just 
gone  into  the  after-cabin,  and  Mr.  Hippesley  immediately 
followed  him,  and  shutting  the  door,  informed  him  of  Mr. 
Dott's  position,  and  why  I  had  made  it  known.  The  captain 
could  not  help  laughing,  as,  after  all,  it  was  no  great  offence. 

He  then  gave  the  necessary  information  to  the  first  lieu- 
tenant, and  they  both  walked  into  the  fore-cabin ;  the  first 
lieutenant  saying,  "  If  you  please,  then,  Captain  Delmar,  I 
will  send  a  boat  immediately  with  the  letter." 

"  Certainly,"  replied  the  captain,  sitting  down,  and  who 
evidently  was  inclined  to  join  in  the  joke  with  Mr.  Hippesley. 
"  Sentry,  send  the  officer  on  deck  to  man  the  jolly-boat,  and 
tell  Mr.  Dott  to  come  here  immediately." 

I  was  on  deck  when  the  sentry  put  his  head  up  the  ladder 
and  gave  the  order,  and  I  immediately  perceived  the  plan  of 
the  first  lieutenant,  and  the  state  of  alarm  into  which  Tommy 
Dott  must  have  been  put. 

The  jolly-boat  was  manned,  and  Mr.  Dott  called  for  in 
every  quarter  of  the  ship,  but  he  did  not  make  his  appearance. 
After  a  delay  of  several  minutes,  the  officer  on  deck  went 
down  into  the  cabin,  reporting  that  the  jolly-boat  had  been 
manned  some  time,  but  that  Mr.  Dott  was  not  to  be  found. 

"  Not  to  be  found  ! "  replied  the  captain  ;  "  why,  he  can't 
have  fallen  overboard  ?  " 

"  Not  he,  sir,"  replied  the  first  lieutenant ;  "  he  has  gone  to 
sleep  somewhere :  either  in  the  tops  or  the  fore-topmast  stay- 
sail netting." 

"  He  appears  to  be  a  very  troublesome  boy,"  replied  the 
captain. 

"Very  useless,  indeed,  sir,"  replied  the  first  lieutenant. 
"  Sentry,  have  they  found  Mr.  Dott  ?  " 

"  No,  sir ;  quarter-masters  have  been  everywhere.  He's 
not  in  the  ship." 

"  Very  odd  ! "  observed  the  captain. 

165 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

"  Oh !  he'll  turn  up  soon,  sir ;  but  really,  Captain  Delmar, 
if  you  were  to  give  him  two  or  three  dozen  at  the  cabin  gun, 
it  would  bring  him  to  his  senses." 

"  That  I  most  certainly  will  do,"  replied  Captain  Delmar ; 
"and  I  authorise  you  to  do  it,  Mr.  Hippesley,  as  soon  as  he 
makes  his  appearance  ;  it  will  be  of  some  service  to  him.  But 
I  hope  no  accident  has  happened  to  him." 

"  I  have  no  fear  of  that,  sir,"  replied  the  first  lieutenant ; 
"if  the  purser's  steward's  room  had  been  open  to-day,  I  should 
have  sent  to  see  if  he  was  not  locked  up  in  another  attempt 
to  steal  raisins,  but  that  has  not  been  the  case.  By-the-bye, 
the  spirit-room  was  open  this  morning,  and  he  may  have 
been  down  there,  and  may  have  had  the  hatches  put  over 
him." 

"  Well,  we  must  send  another  midshipman ;  call  Mr. 
Keene,"  said  Captain  Delmar. 

The  sentry  called  me,  and  I  made  my  appearance. 

"Mr.  Keene,  you'll  go  on  shore  to  the  dockyard  in  the 
jolly-boat ;  give  that  letter  to  the  master  attendant,  and  wait 
for  an  answer." 

"Yes,  sir,"  replied  I. 

"  Have  you  seen  anything  of  Mr.  Dott  ? "  said  the  first 
lieutenant ;  "you  are  constantly  together." 

"I  saw  him  just  before  Captain  Delmar  came  on  board,  sir, 
but  I  have  not  seen  him  since." 

"  Well,  well,  we  will  settle  accounts  with  the  young  gentle- 
man as  soon  as  he  turns  up,"  replied  the  captain ;  "  you  may 
go,  Mr.  Keene." 

I  perceived  that  the  captain  and  first  lieutenant  both 
smiled  as  I  left  the  cabin.  It  appeared  that  soon  after  they 
left  it,  and  the  captain  went  on  shore ;  but  Tommy  was  so 
frightened  that  he  remained  in  his  hiding-place,  as  he  made 
sure  he  would  be  flogged  if  he  made  his  appearance,  and  he 
resolved  to  remain  where  he  was  until  my  return,  that  he 
might  consult  me. 

As  soon  as  I  had  reported  myself,  and  given  the  answer  to 
the  first  lieutenant,  I  hastened  to  the  cabin,  and  then  poor 
Tommy  crawled  from  under  the  table ;  the  tears  were  still 
wet  on  his  cheeks. 

"  I  shall  be  flogged,  Keene,  as  sure  as  I  stand  here.  Tell 
me,  what  can  I  do — what  can  I  say  ?  " 

166 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

"  Tell  the  truth  ;  that's  the  best  way/'  replied  I. 

"  Tell  the  captain  that  I  was  hid  under  the  table  !  that 
would  never  do." 

"  Depend  upon  it,  it's  the  best  plan,"  replied  I ;  "  and  it  is 
the  only  advice  I  can  give  you.  You  may  be  flogged  if  you 
tell  the  truth,  but  you  are  sure  to  be  flogged  if  you  tell  a  lie. 
It  will  only  add  to  your  offence." 

"  Well,  I've  been  thinking  about  it :  I'm  sure  that  Mr. 
Hippesley  will  flog  me  if  he  catches  me  to-day  or  to-morrow ; 
but  if  I  remain  hid  for  a  day  or  two,  they  will  really  think 
that  I  have  fallen  overboard,  and  then  they  will  say,  '  Poor 
Tommy  Dott,'  and  perhaps  be  so  glad  when  I  do  make  my 
appearance,  that  they  will  forgive  me." 

"  Yes,"  replied  I,  delighted  at  the  idea ;  "  I'm  sure  they 
will,  if  you  do  tell  the  truth  when  you  appear  again." 

"  Then,  that  is  what  I'll  do.  The  first  lieutenant  said  that 
I  might  be  in  the  spirit-room.  Where  shall  I  go  to  ?  " 

"Why,"  said  I,  "you  must  remain  under  the  table  till 
dark,  and  then  you  may  easily  slip  down  into  the  coal-hole, 
where  it  is  so  dark  that  they  never  will  see  you,  even  if  they 
go  down  for  coals.  It  is  the  only  place  I  know  of;  stay  there 
all  to-morrow  and  next  day,  and  come  up  in  the  evening ;  or 
the  next  morning  perhaps  will  be  better." 

"  Well,  it's  a  very  good  place,"  replied  Tommy  ;  "  anything 
better  than  being  flogged ;  but  will  you  bring  me  something 
to  eat  and  drink  ?  " 

"  Depend  upon  me,  Tommy,"  replied  I ;  "  I'll  contrive  to 
bring  you  something  every  night." 

"  Well,  then,  I'll  do  that,"  replied  he. 

"Yes;  and  tell  the  truth  when  you  come  out,"  said  I. 

"  Yes,  upon  my  honour  I  will ; "  and  so  saying,  Tommy, 
hearing  a  noise,  again  dived  under  the  cabin  table. 

Soon  afterwards  I  went  out  of  the  cabin.  The  first  lieu- 
tenant beckoned  me  to  him,  and  asked  me  where  Mr.  Dott 
was,  and  I  told  him  what  had  been  arranged  between  us. 
He  laughed  very  much  and  said — 

"Well,  if  Master  Tommy  punishes  himself  by  two  days' 
confinement  in  the  coal-hole,  and  tells  the  truth  when  he 
comes  out,  I  think  I  may  promise  he  will  get  off  his  flogging ; 
but  don't  you  say  that  I  have  spoken  to  you  about  it,  and  let 
him  do  as  he  proposes." 

167 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

When  it  was  dark,  I  supplied  Tommy  with  provisions,  and 
he  gained  the  coal-hole  without  being  discovered. 

The  next  day  the  speculations  at  his  disappearance  were 
general,  and  it  was  now  believed  that  poor  Tommy  had  fallen 
overboard,  and,  as  the  sharks  are  thick  enough  in  Port  Royal, 
that  he  was  safely  stowed  away  in  one  of  their  maws.  I  will 
say  that  the  whole  of  the  ship's  company  were  very  sony  for 
him,  with  the  exception  of  Mr.  Culpepper,  who  observed  that 
no  good  ever  came  of  a  boy  who  stole  raisins. 

"  So  you  think,  that  because  a  lad  steals  a  few  of  your  con- 
founded plums,"  observed  the  second  lieutenant,  "  he  deserves 
to  be  eaten  by  the  sharks.  If  1  were  Tommy  Dott,  I  would 
haunt  you  if  I  could." 

"  I'm  not  afraid  of  dead  men,"  replied  Mr.  Culpepper ; 
"  they  are  quiet  enough." 

"  Perhaps  so  ;  but  recollect,  you  make  them  chew  tobacco, 
and  therefore  they  ought  to  rise  up  in  judgment  against  you, 
if  they  do  against  any  one." 

As  this  conversation  passed  on  the  quarter-deck,  it  put  an 
idea  in  my  head.  That  night  I  went  to  Tommy,  whom  I 
found  terribly  tired  of  sitting  on  the  coals.  I  brought  him 
a  bottle  of  mixed  grog,  and  some  boiled  beef  and  biscuit.  I 
consoled  him  by  telling  him  that  every  one  was  sorry  at  his 
disappearance,  and  that  I  was  convinced  that  he  would  not 
be  punished  if  he  told  the  truth. 

Tommy  was  for  leaving  the  coal-hole  immediately,  but  I 
pointed  out  to  him  that  the  captain  had  not  been  on  board 
that  day,  and  that  it  was  necessary  that  the  captain  should 
believe  that  he  had  fallen  overboard,  as  well  as  the  officers,  or 
his  compassion  would  not  be  roused.  Tommy  saw  the  pro- 
priety of  this,  and  consented  to  remain  another  day.  I  then 
told  him  what  Mr.  Culpepper  had  said,  and  I  added,  "  Now, 
Tommy,  if  Mr.  Culpepper  should  see  you  by  any  chance, 
pretend  to  be  your  ghost." 

"  That  I  will,"  replied  Tommy,  "  if  I  get  six  dozen  for  it." 
I  then  left  him. 

On  my  return  on  deck,  I  saw  Bob  Cross ;  he  was  on  shore 
during  the  major  portion  of  the  day,  attending  upon  the  cap- 
tain, and  as  I  was  no  longer  in  the  captain's  gig,  I  saw  but 
little  of  him. 

<(  Well,  Mr.  Keene,"  said  he,  "  I  think  you  have  quite 

1C8 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

recovered  your  colour  by  this  time,  and  I  hope  to  see  you  in 
the  gig  again." 

"  I  do  not  think  I  shall  yet  awhile — I  have  not  yet  learnt 
navigation  enough ;  but  the  master  says  he  will  be  done  with 
me  in  a  fortnight,  if  I  go  on  as  well  as  I  do  now." 

"  Yes ;  I  heard  him  tell  the  captain  that  you  were  very 
quick,  and  would  be  a  good  navigator.  But  I  can't  get  over 
the  loss  of  poor  Tommy  Dott ;  he  was  a  little  scampish,  that's 
sartin,  but  still  he  was  a  merry,  kind-hearted  boy — too  good 
for  the  sharks,  at  all  events.  You  must  feel  his  loss,  Mr. 
Keene,  for  you  were  always  together." 

"No,  I  don't,  Bob,"  replied  I. 

"  Well,  I'm  sorry  to  hear  you  say  that,  Mr.  Keene ;  I 
thought  you  had  a  kinder  heart" 

"  So  I  have,  Bob.  But  I'll  tell  you  a  secret,  known  only  to 
the  first  lieutenant  and  me ;  and  that  is,  Tommy's  in  the 
coal-hole,  very  dirty,  but  quite  safe." 

Bob  Cross  burst  into  a  fit  of  laughing,  which  lasted  some 
time. 

"  Well,  Mr.  Keene,  you  have  really  taken  a  weight  off  my 
mind  ;  now  tell  me  all  about  it.  You  know  I'm  safe." 

I  then  told  Bob  what  had  happened,  and  of  Tommy's  in- 
tention to  make  his  appearance  on  the  following  evening  or 
the  next  morning. 

"Well,"  said  Bob,  "you're  mischief  itself,  Master  Keene, 
and  that's  a  fact ;  however,  it's  all  right  this  time,  and  you 
have  the  captain  and  first  lieutenant  as  your  confidants  and 
partners  in  the  joke.  You  did  perfectly  right,  and  I'm  sure 
the  captain  and  first  lieutenant  must  be  pleased  with  you ; 
but  recollect,  Master  Keene,  keep  your  distance  as  before — 
don't  presume." 

"  Never  fear,  Bob,"  replied  I.  "  But  now  I  have  told  you 
that,  I  want  you  to  assist  me."  I  then  repeated  the  con- 
versation of  Mr.  Culpepper  with  the  second  lieutenant. 

"  Now,"  continued  I,  "  you  see,  Cross,  I  can't  do  anything 
myself;  Mr.  Culpepper  hates  me,  and  would  suspect  me ;  but 
if  we  could  only  frighten  him :  you  might,  for  he  would  not 
think  you  were  playing  him  a  trick." 

"  I  see,"  replied  Bob ;  "  it  will  be  a  good  thing  for  Tommy 
Dott,  and  a  nice  wind-up  of  this  affair.  Let  me  alone.  When 
I  come  on  board  to-morrow  evening  I'll  manage  it  if  I  can." 

169 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

After  a  little  more  conversation,  we  separated  for  the 
night. 

The  next  morning  the  captain  came  on  board.  He  remained 
on  deck  with  the  first  lieutenant  for  some  minutes,  during 
which,  of  course,  he  was  made  acquainted  with  Tommy  Dott's 
position.  When  he  came  down  into  the  cabin,  I  moved  from 
my  seat,  as  respectful  and  serious  as  before  ;  and  when  ordered 
to  sit  down  again,  resumed  my  studies  with  great  apparent 
diligence.  He  did  not  say  a  word  to  me  about  Tommy  Dott, 
and  as  he  was  going  out  of  the.  cabin,  Mr.  Culpepper  was 
announced  by  the  sentry. 

"  If  you  please,  Captain  Del  mar,"  said  Mr.  Culpepper,  with 
his  usual  profound  bow,  "what  are  we  to  do  with  the  effects 
of  Mr.  Dott,  who  has  fallen  overboard  ?  By  the  regulations 
of  the  service,  they  should  be  sold  before  the  mast.  And 
I  also  wish  to  know  whether  he  is  to  be  continued  to  be 
victualled,  or  whether  it  is  your  pleasure  that  he  is  discharged 
as  dead  ?  " 

The  captain  smiled,  and  turned  his  face  towards  me ;  but 
I  continued  with  my  eyes  down  on  my  book. 

"  Perhaps  we  had  better  wait  till  to-morrow,  Mr.  Cul- 
pepper," replied  the  captain,  "  and  then  you  may  sell  his 
effects,  and  put  D.D.  to  his  name,  poor  fellow."  And  having 
made  this  reply,  the  captain  went  out  of  his  cabin.  Mr. 
Culpepper  followed  ;  and  shortly  afterwards  the  captain  went 
on  shore  again. 

Before  dusk,  the  captain's  gig,  as  usual,  returned  on  board, 
and  I  was  at  the  gangway  to  meet  Bob  Cross ;  the  boat  was 
hoisted  up,  and  then  Bob  came  to  me. 

"  I  must  first  go  down  and  see  Mr.  Dott,  that  I  may  be 
able  to  swear  to  the  fact."  Bob  did  so,  and  then  returned 
on  deck.  Mr.  Culpepper  was  abaft,  walking  by  himself,  when 
Bob  went  up,  and  accosted  him. 

"  If  you  please,  sir,"  said  Bob,  touching  his  hat,  "  did  the 
captain  say  anything  to  you  about  coals,  for  I  expect  we  shall 
not  stay  here  much  longer  ?  " 

"  No,"  replied  Mr.  Culpepper. 

"  Then  he  must  have  forgot  it,  I  suppose,  sir." 

"  Well,  there's  plenty  of  coals,"  replied  Mr.  Culpepper. 

"  Well,  sir,  I  don't  know ;  but  I  think  I  heard  the  cook's 
mate  say  as  how  they  were  getting  rather  low." 

170  " 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

"  Getting  rather  low !  then  there  must  have  been  great 
waste/*  exclaimed  Mr.  C.,  who  was  very  careful  of  his 
expenses. 

"  I  don't  know  how  far  it  may  be  so,  but  I  think  it  might 
be  as  well  to  know  how  matters  stand  ;  and  if  so  be  there's 
plenty,  why  I  can  tell  Captain  Delmar  when  I  go  on  shore- 
to-morrow." 

"  I'll  see ;  I'll  go  down  myself  to-night,"  replied  Mr. 
Culpepper.  "  The  midshipmen  are  allowed  a  stove  to  them- 
selves— very  unusual — and  they  are  cooking  all  day." 

"  Talking  about  midshipmen,  sir,"  replied  Cross,  "  you  may 
think  it's  very  odd ;  but  as  I  stand  here — and  you  know,  Mr. 
Culpepper,  I  arn't  easily  scared — I  saw  that  young  Tommy 
Dott,  or  his  ghost,  this  very  evening." 

It  was  now  quite  dark,  and  Mr.  Culpepper  stared  at  the 
coxswain,  and  then  replied,  "  Pooh,  nonsense  !  " 

"  It's  no  nonsense,  I  do  assure  you.  I  saw  him  with  these 
eyes,  as  sure  as  I  stand  here." 

"  Where  ? ''  exclaimed  Mr.  C. 

"  Right  forward,  sir.  I  only  mention  it  to  you  ;  but  don't 
say  a  word  about  it,  for  I  should  only  be  laughed  at.  But 
I  do  assure  you  that  I  would  kiss  the  Bible  to  it,  if  it  was 
required.  I  never  did  before  believe  in  anything  of  that  sort, 
that's  sartain ;  but  it's  no  use  talking  about  it,  sir.  I  think 
I  had  better  get  a  lantern,  and  get  over  this  coal  business 
at  once." 

"Yes,  yes,"  replied  Mr.  Culpepper;  "but  you  won't  know 
how  much  coals  there  are  :  I  must  go  myself  and  see." 

Bob  Cross  was  soon  ready  with  the  lantern,  and  went  for- 
ward with  Mr.  Culpepper.  The  hammocks  had  been  piped 
down,  and  they  were  obliged  to  bend  double  under  them  to 
get  along  the  lower  deck.  I  followed  unperceived. 

The  descent  into  the  coal-hole  was  by  battens,  and  not 
very  easy  for  an  old  man  like  Mr.  C.  But  Cross  went  down 
first,  holding  the  light  for  the  purser  to  follow,  which  he  did 
very  slowly,  and  with  great  caution.  As  soon  as  they  both 
stood  on  the  coals  below,  the  purser  took  the  light  to  make 
his  survey. 

"  Why,  there's  plenty  of  coals  for  three  months,  coxswain," 
said  he.  "  I  thought  there  was ;  you  see  they  are  nearly  up 
to  the  beams  abaft." 

171 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

"  Look  !  sir  —  look  !  "  exclaimed  Cross,  starting  back  ; 
«  what's  that  ?  " 

"  Where  ?  "  exclaimed  Mr.  C.,  alarmed. 

"  There,  sir — there  he  is ;  I  told  you  so." 

The  purser's  eyes  were  directed  to  where  Bob  pointed,  and 
then  he  beheld  Tommy  Dott  standing  immovable  with  his 
arms  extended,  as  if  denouncing  him — his  eyes  staring,  and 
his  mouth  wide  open. 

"  Mercy  ! — murder  ! "  cried  the  purser,  dropping  the  lantern, 
which  went  out  and  left  them  in  the  dark ;  and  he  tumbled 
down  on  the  coals. 

Bob  Cross  stepped  over  him,  and  hastened  up  to  the  lower 
deck,  followed  by  Tommy  Dott,  who  first,  by  way  of  revenge, 
jumped  several  times  upon  the  purser's  face  and  body  before 
he  climbed  up. 

The  cry  of  the  purser  had  given  the  alarm.  The  master-at- 
arms  hastened  forward  with  his  lantern  just  as  Tommy  had 
made  his  appearance  above  the  coombings.  Seeing  Tommy 
as  black  as  a  sweep,  he  too  was  frightened.  The  men  had  put 
their  heads  out  of  their  hammocks,  and  some  of  them  had 
seen  Tommy. 

Bob  Cross,  as  he  crawled  aft,  cried  out,  "Tommy  Dott's 
ghost ! "  I  had  pretended  to  be  terrified  out  of  my  wits,  as  I 
ran  aft,  and  all  was  confusion  on  the  lower  deck.  The  first 
lieutenant  had  come  out  of  the  wardroom,  and  seeing  me,  he 
inquired  what  was  the  matter.  I  replied  that  Mr.  Culpepper 
had  gone  down  into  the  coal-hole,  and  had  seen  Mr.  Dott's 
ghost.  He  laughed  heartily,  and  went  back. 

Tommy  had  in  the  meantime  made  his  appearance  in  the 
raids'  berth,  at  which  they  had  all  rushed  from  him  in  dismay, 
just  as  I  entered ;  when  I  caught  him  by  the  hand,  saying, 
"  Tommy,  my  boy,  how  are  you  ?  "  They  then  perceived  that 
it  was  Tommy  himself,  and  order  was  restored. 

Mr.  Culpepper  was  hoisted  up  out  of  the  coal-hole.  Master 
Tommy  having  jumped  upon  his  face,  he  looked  a  very 
miserable  object,  as  he  was  well  blackened,  as  well  as  much 
bruised  from  the  soles  of  Tommy's  shoes,  and  his  nose  had 
bled  profusely.  He  was  very  incoherent  for  some  time ;  but 
the  doctor  gave  him  an  opiate,  and  put  him  to  bed. 

The  next  morning  the  whole  affair  was  explained  on  the 
quarter-deck,  Master  Tommy  well  reprimanded,  and  desired 

172 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

to  return  to  his  duty.  The  captain  was  very  much  amused 
at  the  winding  up  of  this  affair,  as  it  was  a  capital  story  to 
tell  at  the  governor's.  Tommy  never  had  an  idea  that  I 
had  blown  upon  him,  nor  did  Mr.  Culpepper  imagine  that 
their  meeting  was  premeditated. 

I  had  now  completed  the  usual  course  of  navigation  under 
the  master,  and  had  no  longer  any  cause  for  remaining  in  the 
cabin.  I  therefore  returned  to  my  berth  ;  but  as  I  had  taken 
a  liking  to  navigation,  I  now  was  employed  daily  in  working 
sights  and  rating  the  chronometer. 

We  remained  three  weeks  longer  in  Port  Royal,  and  then 
were  ordered  out  on  a  cruise,  on  the  South  American  coast. 
There  we  continued  for  nearly  six  months  without  anything 
occurring  worth  relating,  except  our  having  captured  four 
•good  prizes.  We  were  returning  to  Jamaica,  when  we  fell 
in  with  a  schooner,  which  gave  us  the  intelligence  of  the 
capture  of  the  island  of  Cura9oa  by  four  English  frigates. 

As  we  were  near  to  the  island,  and  short  of  water,  Captain 
Delmar  resolved  to  touch  at  it,  and  remain  two  or  three 
days. 

The  reader  will  perhaps  recollect  that  the  old  Dutch  gentle- 
man, whose  life  I  had  saved  in  the  pirate  vessel,  had  stated 
that  his  name  was  Vanderwelt,  and  that  he  lived  at  Cura9oa. 
The  next  evening  we  entered  the  harbour ;  and  it  was 
astonishing  to  every  one  how  so  strong  a  place  could  have 
been  taken  by  so  small  a  force.  The  commodore,  who  had 
plenty  of  work  on  hand,  requested,  or  rather  ordered,  our 
captain  to  remain  with  him  for  ten  days  or  a  fortnight,  to 
assist  him. 

On  the  third  day  after  our  arrival  I  obtained  leave  to  go  on 
shore,  as  I  wished  to  find  out  the  old  Dutch  gentleman.  As 
I  was  again  in  the  captain's  gig,  I  had  very  often  landed,  but 
had  not  had  an  opportunity  of  making  inquiries,  as  I  could 
not  leave  my  boat  and  boat's  crew. 

This  afternoon  I  landed  in  the  gig,  and  went  up  through 
the  gate  into  the  town,  but  I  could  not  find  any  one  who 
spoke  English.  At  last,  by  asking  for  the  house  of  Mynheer 
Vanderwelt,  it  was  pointed  out  to  me,  and  I  went  up  to 
the  door ;  it  was  a  very  large  house,  with  a  verandah  all 
round  it,  painted  bi'ight  green  and  white  alternately.  There 
were  several  slaves  sitting  down  at  the  entrance,  and  I  asked 

173 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

for  Mynheer  Vanderwelt.  They  stared  at  me,  and  wondered 
what  I  wanted ;  but  as  I  was  in  midshipman's  uniform,  they 
were  of  course  very  civil,  and  one  of  them  beckoned  me  to 
follow  him,  which  I  did,  and  was  introduced  to  the  old 
gentleman,  who  was  sitting  in  a  cane  arm-chair  with  his 
pipe  in  his  mouth,  and  fanned  by  two  slave  girls,  about 
twelve  years  old. 

As  he  had  spoken  to  me  in  English  on  board  of  the  pirate, 
I  immediately  went  up  to  him  and  said,  "  How  do  you 
do,  sir?" 

"  I  am  very  well,  sir,"  replied  he,  taking  the  pipe  out  of 
his  mouth.  "  What  do  you  want  ?  do  you  come  from  the 
English  commodore  ?  What  is  his  pleasure  ?  " 

"  No,  sir,"  replied  I,  "  I  do  not  come  from  the  commo- 
dore ;  but  I  came  up  to  see  you." 

"  Oh,  that  is  all,"  replied  the  old  gentleman,  putting  his 
pipe  in  his  mouth  again,  and  resuming  his  smoking.  I  felt 
rather  nettled  at  his  treatment,  and  then  said — 

"  Don't  you  know  me,  sir  ?  " 

" No,  sir,"  replied  he ;  "I  have  not  that  honour.  I  have 
never  seen  you  in  my  life  before,  and  I  do  not  know  you." 

My  blood  was  up  at  this  cool  declaration. 

"  Then  I  wish  you  a  good  morning,  sir,"  replied  I ;  and 
turning  on  my  heel,  I  was  strutting  out  with  all  the  dignity 
of  an  offended  midshipman,  when  I  was  met  face  to  face  by 
the  little  girl,  his  daughter.  She  stared  at  me  very  much, 
and  I  passed  her  in  sovereign  contempt.  She  followed  me 
timidly,  and  looked  into  my  face ;  then,  panting  for  breath, 
seized  me  by  the  arm.  I  turned  to  her  at  being  stopped 
in  this  manner,  and  was  about  to  shake  her  off  with  anything 
but  politeness,  when  she  screamed  out,  and  in  a  moment 
had  sprung  up,  and  was  hanging  with  both  arms  round 
my  neck. 

"  Fader,  fader  !  "  she  cried  out  as  I  struggled  to  disengage 
myself. 

The  old  gentleman  came  out  at  the  summons. 

"  Stop  him !  fader ;  don't  let  him  go  away,"  cried  she  in 
Dutch  ;  "it  is  he  ;  it  is  he  !  " 

"  Who,  my  child  ?  "  asked  the  old  gentleman. 

"The  pirate  boy,"  replied  the  little  girl,  bursting  into  a 
paroxysm  of  tears,  on  my  shoulders. 

174 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

"  Mem  Got !  it  cannot  be ;  he  was  black,  my  child.  Yet," 
continued  the  old  gentleman,  looking  at  me,  "  he  is  like  him. 
Tell  me,  sir,  are  you  our  preserver  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  replied  I,  "  I  was ;  but  that  is  of  little  conse- 
quence now.  Will  you  oblige  me  by  removing  this  young 
lady  ?  "  continued  I,  for  I  was  highly  offended. 

"Sir,  I  ask  your  pardon,"  replied  the  old  gentleman; 
"  but  I  am  not  to  blame.  How  could  I  recognise  you  in  a 
white  person  when  you  were  so  dark-coloured  at  our  meet- 
ing on  board  of  that  vessel  ?  I  am  not  to  blame ;  indeed  I 
am  not,  my  dear  young  friend.  I  would  have  given  ten 
thousand  rix-dollars  to  have  met  you,  that  I  might  prove  my 
gratitude  for  your  noble  defence  of  us,  and  our  preservation 
at  such  a  risk.  Come,  sir,  you  must  forgive  the  mistake  of 
an  old  man,  who  was  certainly  not  inclined  to  be  civil  to  an 
officer  who  belonged  to  the  squadron  who  had  within  these 
few  days  so  humiliated  us  by  their  astonishing  bravery  and 
success.  Let  my  little  girl,  whose  life  you  saved,  persuade 
you,  if  I  cannot." 

In  the  meantime  the  little  girl  had  dropped  from  my 
shoulder,  and  was  on  the  floor,  embracing  my  knees,  and  still 
sobbing.  I  felt  convinced  that  what  the  old  gentleman  said 
was  true,  and  that  he  had  not  recognised  me.  I  had  for- 
gotten that  I  had  been  stained  dark  at  the  time  that  I  had 
met  them  on  board  of  the  Stella. 

I  therefore  held  out  my  hand  to  the  old  gentleman, 
and  raising  the  little  girl,  we  all  three  went  in  together  to 
where  we  had  found  the  old  gentleman  on  my  first  intro- 
duction to  him. 

"  If  you  knew  how  delighted  I  am  to  see  you,  and  be  able 
to  express  my  thanks,"  said  Mynheer  Vanderwelt,  "and  poor 
Minnie  too !  How  often  have  we  talked  over  that  dreadful 
day,  and  wondered  if  ever  we  should  see  you  again.  I  assure 
you,  on  my  honour,  that  now  I  no  longer  regret  the  capture 
of  the  island." 

Minnie  stood  by  me  during  the  time  her  father  was  speak- 
ing, her  large  blue  eyes  beaming  through  the  tears  with 
which  they  brimmed ;  and  as  I  turned  to  her,  our  eyes  met, 
and  she  smiled.  I  drew  her  towards  me.  She  appeared  as 
if  she  only  required  some  encouragement,  for  she  immedi- 
ately kissed  me  several  times  on  the  cheek  nearest  to  her, 

175 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

every  now  and  then  saying  a  word  or  two  in  Dutch  to  her 
father,  which  I  could  not  understand. 

I  hardly  need  say,  that  after  this,  intimacy  was  soon 
brought  about.  If  I  thought  that  at  first  I  had  been  treated 
with  ingratitude,  ample  amends  was  made  afterwards. 

The  old  gentleman  said  during  the  evening,  "  Good 
heaven !  if  my  daughter's  eyes  had  not  been  sharper  than 
mine ;  if  you  had  gone  away,  thinking  that  I  did  not  choose 
to  recognise  you — had  I  found  it  out  afterwards,  it  would 
have  broken  my  heart,  and  poor  Minnie's  too.  Oh  !  I  am 
grateful — very  grateful  to  God  that  it  was  not  so." 

That  I  passed  a  very  pleasant  evening  the  reader  may 
imagine.  The  household,  who  had  been  told  who  I  was, 
appeared  to  almost  worship  me.  The  old  gentleman  asked 
me  a  hundred  questions  as  to  my  parentage,  &c.,  about 
Captain  Delmar  and  the  service,  and  begged  of  me  to  remain 
with  him  altogether  while  the  frigate  was  in  port.  I  told 
him  that  was  impossible,  but  that  I  would  come  as  often  as  I 
could  obtain  leave.  At  nine  o'clock  I  bade  them  good  night, 
and  was  escorted  to  the  boat  by  six  of  the  slaves  carrying 
lanterns. 

Captain  Delmar,  as  well  as  all  the  other  captains  of  the 
frigates,  had  taken  up  his  quarters  on  shore,  for  the  harbour 
was  so  narrow  and  land-locked,  that  the  heat  on  board  was 
excessive.  I  found  that  the  next  day  old  Mr.  Vanderwelt 
had  paid  his  respects  to  Captain  Delmar,  giving  him  an 
account  of  what  had  occurred  on  board  of  the  pirate  much 
more  flattering  to  me  than  what  I  had  stated  myself.  The 
steward  was  present  at  the  time,  and  he  had  told  Bob  Cross, 
who  communicated  it  to  me.  Mynheer  Vanderwelt  had  also 
begged  as  a  favour  that  I  might  be  permitted  to  stay  on 
shore  with  him  during  the  time  that  the  frigate  was  in 
harbour,  but  to  this  Captain  Delmar  had  not  consented, 
promising,  however,  that  I  should  have  occasional  leave  when 
the  service  would  permit  of  it. 

The  reader  may  recollect  that  the  island  of  Cura9oa  had 
been  surrendered  to  the  English  in  1800,  and  restored  to 
the  Dutch  in  1802.  During  that  interval  several  English 
merchants  had  settled  there  and  remained  after  the  restora- 
tion, and  now  at  the  second  capture  we  found  them  still  on 
the  island.  From  these  we  received  the  information  that 

176 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

Mr.  Vanderwelt  was  the  richest  man  on  the  island,  and  that 
the  Dutch  Government  was  indebted  to  him  in  very  large 
sums ;  that  he  had  long  retired  from  business,  although  he 
had  large  property  in  the  Havannah,  which  he  received  with 
his  wife,  who  had  been  a  Spanish  lady,  and  that  it  was  his 
intention  to  have  gone  back  to  Holland  by  the  first  man-of- 
war  which  should  have  arrived. 

We  remained  three  weeks  at  Curacoa,  during  which  time 
the  first  lieutenant  gave  me  leave  to  go  on  shore  almost  every 
evening  after  the  captain  had  dismissed  his  gig,  and  to  re- 
main at  Mr.  Vanderwelt's  till  half-past  eight  the  following 
morning,  when  I  joined  my  boat,  and  attended  on  the 
captain.  By  this  plan  my  duty  was  not  interfered  with, 
and  I  had  many  pleasant  meetings  with  my  new  friends, 
and  became,  as  may  be  imagined,  very  intimate  with  little 
Minnie. 

I  may  as  well  describe  her.  She  was  about  ten  years  old, 
tall  for  her  age  ;  she  was  very  fair,  with  deep  blue  eyes,  and 
very  dark  hair ;  her  countenance  was  very  animated  and  ex- 
pressive, and  she  promised  to  be  a  very  handsome  woman. 
Her  father  doted  upon  her,  for  he  had  no  other  child ;  he 
had  married  late  in  life,  and  his  wife  had  died  a  few  days 
after  Minnie  was  born.  She  was  very  affectionate  in  disposi- 
tion, and  very  sweet-tempered ;  up  to  the  present  she  had 
received  but  little  education,  and  that  was  one  principal 
reason  for  Mr.  Vanderwelt's  wishing  to  return  to  Holland. 
I  soon  became  as  one  of  the  family,  and  certainly  was  treated 
as  such. 

Minnie  was  veiy  curious  to  know  what  it  was  that  I  carried 
about  my  neck  in  a  sealskin  pouch,  but  I  never  could  tell 
either  her  or  her  father  what  it  really  was.  Mr.  Vanderwelt 
very  often  asked  me  if  I  liked  being  at  sea,  and  I  invariably 
replied  in  the  affirmative. 

At  last  the  frigate  was  to  sail,  and  I  had  but  one  more 
evening  to  pass  with  them.  Mr.  Vanderwelt  appeared  very 
grave,  and  little  Minnie  would  every  now  and  then  during 
the  evening  burst  into  tears  at  the  idea  of  our  separation. 

At  last  the  hour  of  parting  arrived — it  was  very  painful.  I 
promised  to  write  to  them,  and  Mr.  Vanderwelt  told  me  that 
his  house  was  always  ready  to  receive  me,  and  begged  that  if 
I  wanted  anything  I  would  let  him  know. 

177  M 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

I  cried  myself  when  I  left  the  house — the  first  time  that 
I  ever  cried,  I  believe,  on  such  an  occasion.  The  next 
morning  we  were  again  under  weigh,  to  rejoin  the  admiral 
at  Jamaica. 

Bob  Cross  had  told  me  that  he  wished  to  have  a  little  talk 
with  me  in  the  first  watch,  and  I  met  him  on  the  gangway, 
our  usual  rendezvous. 

"  Master  Keene,  I  have  some  news  for  you,  which  I  gained 
from  the  steward  last  night.  I  will  say,  that  his  ears  are 
always  open;  not  that  I  think  he  is  generally  what  is  called 
an  eavesdropper,  but  he  likes  you,  and  when  you  are  con- 
cerned, he  does  care  to  find  out  what  is  going  on.  Now  you 
see,  sir,  that  Dutch  gentleman  whom  you  saved  from  the 
nigger  pirate  came  to  call  on  Captain  Delmar  yesterday 
morning,  and  after  some  palaver,  he  told  the  captain  that  he 
wished  you  to  remain  with  him  altogether,  and  leave  his 
Majesty's  service ;  and  he  begged  the  captain  to  allow  you  to 
be  discharged,  and  then  he  would  be  a  father  to  you,  as  you 
had  no  father.  There  was  a  great  deal  more  which  the 
steward  could  not  make  out,  but  it  was  all  to  that  effect. 
Well,  the  captain  said  that  it  was  very  true  that  you  had  lost 
your  father,  but  that  he  considered  you  as  his  onm  son,  and 
could  not  part  with  you  on  any  account ;  and  he  stated  that 
you  were  so  promising  an  officer,  that  it  would  be  very  wrong 
that  you  should  leave  the  service,  and  that  it  must  not  be 
thought  of.  The  old  gentleman  said  a  great  deal,  and  tried 
very  hard  to  persuade  the  captain,  but  it  was  of  no  use.  The 
captain  said  he  would  never  let  you  go  till  you  were  a  post- 
captain  and  commanded  a  fine  frigate,  and  then  you  would  of 
course  be  your  own  master,  and  act  as  you  please." 

"  I  am  very  glad  to  hear  all  this,  Bob,  I  can  assure  you." 

"  Yes,  sir,  it  is  very  good  news ;  but,  Master  Keene,  I  only 
hope,  knowing  Captain  Delmar  as  you  do,  that  you  will  act 
towards  him  as  if  you  had  never  heard  it." 

"  I  will,  depend  upon  it,  Cross.  As  for  leaving  the  service, 
that  I  would  not  have  done  even  if  Captain  Delmar  had 
agreed  to  it.  I'm  an  Englishman,  and  I  don't  want  to  be 
under  Dutch  protection." 

"That's  right,  sir — that's  right — just  as  I  wished  you  to 
feel.  How  time  flies  away  !  Why,  Master  Keene,  you  have 
been  afloat  nearly  three  years." 

178 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

"Within  a  month,  Bob." 

"  And  you're  growing  such  a  tall  fellow,  they  won't  keep 
you  much  longer  in  the  captain's  gig,  I  expect :  I  shall  be 
sorry  for  that.  So  Master  Tommy  Dott  is  in  another  scrape." 

"  How  ? — I  heard  nothing  of  it." 

"  No,  because  it's  only  within  this  half-hour  that  he's  got 
in  it." 

"  Tell  me." 

"Why,  sir,  Mr.  Culpepper  had  fallen  fast  asleep  on  the 
gun-room  table,  under  the  skylight,  which,  as  you  know,  is 
always  open,  and  his  head  had  fallen  back,  and  his  mouth 
was  wide  open :  there  was  no  other  officer  in  the  gun-room 
except  Mr.  Culpepper ;  and  Tommy  Dott,  who  perceived 
him,  asked  Timothy  Jenkins,  the  maintop  man,  to  give  him 
a  quid  of  tobacco.  Well,  Jenkins  takes  it  out  of  his  cheek, 
red-hot,  as  you  may  suppose,  and  hands  it  to  Master  Tommy, 
who  takes  his  perpendicular  very  accurately,  and  drops  the 
quid  into  the  purser's  open  mouth. 

"Mr.  Culpepper  was  almost  choked,  but  after  a  terrible 
coughing,  the  quid  comes  up  again ;  notwithstanding,  he 
turns  as  sick  as  a  dog,  and  is  obliged  to  run  to  the  basin  in 
his  cabin.  Well,  sir,  as  soon  as  he  comes  out  again,  he  goes 
up  under  the  half-deck,  and  inquires  of  the  sentry,  who  it 
was  that  did  it ;  and  the  sentry,  who  is  that  sulky  fellow 
Martin,  instead  of  knowing  nothing  about  it,  says  directly,  it 
was  Master  Tommy ;  and  now  there's  a  formal  complaint 
made  by  Mr.  Culpepper  on  the  quarter-deck,  and  Master 
Tommy  will  get  it  as  sure  as  a  gun." 

"He  don't  know  how  to  play  a  trick,"  replied  I ;  "he  is 
always  found  out  and  punished  :  the  great  point  is,  not  to  be 
discovered — that's  the  real  pleasure  in  playing  a  trick." 

"  Well,  you  certainly  do  manage  well,  Master  Keene  ;  but 
I  think  it's  almost  time  you  left  them  off  now,  you're  getting 
an  oldster.  Why,  you  must  be  seventeen,  sir  ?  " 

"  Yes,  Bob,  not  very  far  from  it." 

"  Well,  I  suppose  I  must  say  Mister  Keene  for  the  future." 

"  You  may  call  me  what  you  like,  Bob ;  you  have  been  a 
good  friend  to  me." 

"  Well,  sir,  I  only  hope  that  Captain  Delmar  will  make  you 
a  post-captain,  as  he  says,  and  that  you'll  get  a  fine  frigate, 
and  I'll  be  your  coxswain ;  but  that's  a  long  way  to  look  to, 

179 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

and  we  shan't  have  any  more  councils  of  war  on  the  gang- 
way then." 

"  No  ;  but  we  may  in  the  cabin,  Cross." 

"A  large  sail  on  the  starboard  bow/'  cried  the  look-out 
man  forward.  * 

"  A  large  sail  on  the  starboard  bow,"  reported  the  mate  of 
the  watch. 

My  glass  was  on  the  capstern,  and  I  ran  for  it,  and  went 
forward  to  examine  the  vessel,  although  my  duty  as  signal 
midshipman  was  ended  at  sunset. 

"  What  do  you  make  of  it,  Mr.  Keene  ?  "  said  the  officer  of 
the  watch. 

"  I  think  she's  a  man-of-war ;  but  it  is  so  dark,  that  I 
cannot  make  her  out  very  clearly." 

"  Is  she  standing  this  way  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir,  under  top-sails  and  top-gallant  sails,  I  think." 

The  officer  of  the  watch  went  down  to  report  to  the 
captain,  who  had  not  yet  turned  into  his  cot.  Captain 
Delmar  had  been  informed  that  a  Dutch  frigate  was  ex- 
pected at  the  island,  but  not  until  the  following  month  ;  still 
we  had  no  reason  to  suppose  that  there  were  any  of  our 
frigates  down  in  these  latitudes,  except  those  lying  in  the 
harbour  at  Curacoa.  The  wind  was  light,  about  a  three-knot 
breeze,  and  there  being  no  moon  till  after  twelve  o'clock,  it 
was  very  difficult  to  make  out  what  she  was.  Some  said  she 
was  a  two-decked  vessel.  The  captain  went  down  to  look  at 
his  private  signals  for  the  night,  and  before  he  came  up  I  was 
all  ready  with  the  lanterns. 

"  Two  lights  over  one  in  a  triangle :  be  quick,  Mr.  Keene." 

"Ay,  ay,  sir/'  replied  I. 

The  lights  were  soon  hoisted  at  the  peak,  but  as  they 
could  not  well  be  seen  by  the  other  vessel,  as  we  were 
standing  towards  her,  we  went  about  and  hove  to  across  her 
hawse.  For  a  quarter  of  an  hour  she  continued  to  stand 
towards  us  without  noticing  the  signals ;  at  last  the  captain 
said,  "  They  must  be  all  asleep  on  board  of  the  vessel." 

"  No,  Captain  Delmar,"  replied  I,  keeping  my  telescope 
on  the  vessel,  "they  are  not  all  asleep,  for  I  saw  lights  on 
the  main-deck  through  the  bow-ports.  I  see  them  again 
now.  *" 

"  So  do  I,"  said  the  first  lieutenant. 

180 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

"Then  we'll  beat  to  quarters,  Mr.  Hippesley,"  rejoined 
the  captain. 

The  men  were  summoned  to  quarters,  and  hammocks  piped 
up  and  stowed  in  a  very  short  time,  the  guns  cast  loose,  and 
every  man  at  his  post  (but  the  ports  not  opened),  waiting  the 
coming  down  of  the  stranger,  now  about  a  mile  distant,  when 
suddenly  she  rounded  to  the  wind  on  the  same  tack  that  we 
were,  and  set  her  royals  and  flying-jib. 

"  She  does  not  answer  our  signals,"  observed  the  captain : 
"  I  suspect  by  that  and  her  present  manoeuvre  she  must  be 
an  enemy." 

"  I  have  no  doubt  of  it,  sir,"  observed  the  first  lieutenant ; 
"an  English  frigate  would  not  behave  in  that  way." 

"  Open  the  ports  and  get  up  the  fighting  lanterns,  then," 
said  the  captain ;  for  up  to  the  present  we  had  been  careful 
not  to  show  any  lights. 

It  was  now  plain  to  see  that  her  men  were  at  their  quarters, 
and  that  she  was  prepared  for  action.  When  everything  was 
ready  on  deck,  the  royals  and  flying-jib  were  set,  and  we  gave 
chase.  The  strange  vessel  was  about  three-quarters  of  a  mile 
on  our  weather-beam ;  in  hulf-an-hour  we  had  gained  upon 
her  considerably,  and  our  sailing  was  so  superior  that  we 
were  satisfied,  should  she  prove  an  enemy,  that  in  an  hour 
more  we  should  be  engaged. 

Of  course  we  might  have  engaged  her  at  the  distance  we 
were  from  her,  but  you  cannot  be  too  careful  in  a  night 
action,  and  ought  never  to  engage  without  first  hailing  the 
vessel  to  make  sure  that  she  is  an  enemy,  as  circumstances 
may,  and  have  occurred,  by  which  an  English  vessel  may 
not  be  able  to  answer  the  private  signal,  and,  of  course,  a 
vessel  belonging  to  a  neutral  power  would  be  in  the  same 
position.  i 

The  incertitude  which  existed  as  to  whether  the  strange 
vessel  was  an  enemy  or  not  created  great  excitement.  My 
duty,  as  signal  midshipman,  placed  me  abaft  on  the  quarter- 
deck, and  Bob  Cross,  who  was  really  a  quartermaster,  although 
doing  duty  as  captain's  coxswain,  was  at  the  wheel. 

At  last  we  had  brought  the  chase  well  on  our  weather 
quarter,  and  when  we  tacked  we  found  that  we  lay  well  up, 
she  being  about  a  point  on  our  lee  bow.  Another  half-hour 
brought  us  within  two  cables'  length  of  her,  when  we  kept 

181 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

away,  so  as  to  pass  her  to  leeward,  close  enough  to  have 
thrown  a  biscuit  on  board. 

The  stranger  still  remaining  on  the  opposite  tack.  Captain 
Delmar  then  hailed  from  the  gangway — 

"  Ship,  ahoy  !  " 

There  was  a  death-like  silence  on  board  of  both  vessels, 
and  his  voice  pierced  sonorously  through  the  night  wind. 

"  Ah  !  yaw  !  "  was  the  reply. 

"  What  ship  is  that  ?  "  continued  Captain  Delmar. 

During  this  time  every  man  was  at  his  gun;  the  captains, 
with  the  lanyards  of  the  locks  in  their  hands,  ready  to  pour 
in  a  broadside. 

The  reply  from  the  other  vessel  was — "Vat  chip  is  dat  ?" 

"His  Britannic  Majesty's  ship  Calliope,"  replied  Captain 
Delmar;  and  then  he  repeated — "What  ship  is  that?  Let 
every  man  lie  down  at  his  quarters,"  said  Captain  Delmar. 
The  order  was  hardly  obeyed,  when  the  stranger  frigate 
poured  in  her  broadside,  and  as  we  were  then  very  close, 
with  great  execution  to  our  hull  and  rigging ;  but  as  the  men 
had  been  lying  down,  very  few  of  them  were  hurt. 

As  soon  as  the  crash  was  over,  Captain  Delmar  cried  out 
— "  Up,  men,  and  fire,  as  I  round  to  under  her  stern." 

In  a  few  seconds  we  had  passed  through  the  volumes  of 
smoke,  and  luffed  up  under  her  stern  :  we  poured  in  our 
whole  broadside. 

"Let  her  go  off  again — flatten  in  there  forward.  Ready 
about,"  was  the  nexe  order  given. 

We  ran  away  from  her  about  three  cables'  length,  until 
we  had  sufficient  way  to  tack,  and  then  we  went  about  and 
stood  towards  her,  steering  for  her  weather-quarter,  as  if  we 
were  going  to  engage  her  to  windward. 

"  Over  to  the  larboard  guns,  my  lads.  Hands  by,  after 
bracings  and  bowlings,  Mr.  Hippesley." 

"  Ay,  ay,  sir,  all  ready." 

As  soon  as  we  were  near  enough,  the  after-yards  were 
shivered,  the  jib-sheet  to  windward,  and  the  helm  put  up. 
The  Calliope  worked  beautifully ;  she  paid  sharp  off,  and  we 
again  passed  under  her  stern,  and  gave  another  raking  broad- 
side ;  very  unexpected  on  the  part  of  the  Dutchman,  who  pre- 
sumed that  we  were  going  to  engage  him  to  windward,  and 
had  his  men  all  ready  at  his  larboard  guns  in  consequence. 

182 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

The  Dutch  captain  was  evidently  much  annoyed  :  he  stood 
at  the  taffrail,  and,  much  to  our  amusement,  cried  out,  in  bad 
English,  "  You  coward — not  fight  fair." 

As  we  shot  ahead  of  her,  to  leeward,  she  gave  us  a  portion 
of  her  starboard  broadside ;  but  the  men  having  been  over  at 
the  guns  on  the  other  side,  were  not  quick  enough,  and  they 
did  us  no  injury ;  whereas,  her  mizzen-mast  fell  over  the  side 
a  few  minutes  after  we  passed  her. 

She  then  paid  off,  and  so  did  we,  so  that  she  might  not 
rake  us,  and  broadsides  were  exchanged  on  equal  terms ; 
but  before  we  had  exchanged  these  broadsides,  both  ships 
running  with  the  wind  on  the  quarter,  we  found  that  our 
superiority  in  sailing  free  was  so  great,  that  we  shot  ahead 
of  him  out  of  his  fire,  and  we  were  enabled  to  luff  up  and 
rake  him  again. 

The  last  raking  broadside  brought  down  his  main-topmast, 
and  then  she  was  all  our  own,  as  Bob  Cross  said,  as  she 
could  not  round  to  with  no  after-sail ;  and  we  could,  from  our 
superiority  in  sailing,  take  our  position  as  we  pleased,  which 
we  did,  constantly  keeping  ahead  of  him,  and  raking  him, 
broadside  after  broadside,  and  receiving  but  one  broadside 
in  return,  until  his  fore-mast  went  by  the  board,  and  he  had 
nothing  but  his  main-mast  standing. 

This  bettered  his  condition  on  the  whole ;  as,  although 
hardly  manageable  with  so  little  wind,  he  had  more  power 
over  his  vessel,  as  far  as  rounding  to  the  wind,  which  he  did, 
and  the  action  continued ;  but  our  fighting  under  sail  gave 
us  great  advantage,  and  although  an  occasional  shot  would 
come  in,  and  we  had  to  carry  some  men  into  the  cockpit, 
for  one  shot  we  received,  we  certainly  returned  ten.  The 
action  had  continued  about  an  hour,  when,  by  the  continual 
cannonading,  the  light  wind  was  beaten  down,  and  it  fell 
dead  calm.  This  put  us  again  upon  a  more  equal  footing, 
as  the  Calliope  had  not  steerage  way. 

We  were  then  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  apart,  lying  head 
and  stern ;  but  both  ships  had  fallen  off  during  the  calm,  so 
that  only  the  quarter  guns  of  each  could  be  brought  to  bear. 
The  major  portion  of  the  ship's  company  being,  therefore, 
not  able  to  use  their  guns,  were  employed  in  repairing  the 
damages  we  had  received,  which  were  very  considerable,  espe- 
cially in  the  sails  and  rigging. 

183 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

I  was  standing  by  Bob  Cross,  who  was  looking  out  for 
cats'-paws,  as  we  call  slight  breaths  of  wind,  when  he  said 
in  a  low  voice — "  Master  Keene,  I  never  had  an  idea  that 
the  captain  could  handle  his  ship  so  well ;  he  really  knows 
what  he's  about  as  well  as  any  man  in  the  service." 

"  I  thought  so,  too,"  replied  I.  "  Whew  !  there's  a  nasty 
shot,"  cried  I,  as  one  came  in  and  upset  half-a-dozen  of  the 
marines,  who  were  hauling  upon  the  mizzen-topsail  sheet, 
which  had  just  been  spliced. 

"  Yes,  sir,  that  chap  is  made  of  good  stuff,  depend  upon  it 
— all  the  Dutchmen  are  :  if  they  could  only  keep  their  hands 
out  of  their  breeches  pockets,  they  would  be  rummer  cus- 
tomers than  they  are  now ;  as  it  is,  they  are  not  to  be  played 
with.  And,  depend  upon  it,  we're  a  long  way  off  having  him 
yet;  we  must  pray  for  wind  to  come  up,  and  he  must  pray 
for  the  calm  to  continue." 

"  Where's  Mr.  Keene  ?  "  said  the  captain,  who  was  on  the 
other  side  of  the  deck. 

"  Here,  sir,"  said  I,  running  up  and  touching  my  hat. 

te  Mr.  Keene,  go  down  quietly,  and  ascertain  how  many  men 
we  have  hurt;  the  doctor  will  be  able  to  tell  you  pretty  nearly." 

"  Ay,  ay,  sir,"  replied  I,  and  I  dived  down  below  ;  just  as 
I  did  so,  a  shot  came  in,  and  cut  away  the  lower  rail  of  the 
copper  stanchions  which  were  round  the  hatchway,  about  a 
foot  beyond  my  hat :  had  I  not  gone  down  so  quickly,  it 
would  have  taken  my  head  off. 

I  went  down  into  the  gun-room,  for  the  doctor  preferred 
being  there  to  the  cockpit,  as  there  was  so  much  more  room 
to  operate,  and  I  gave  him  the  captain's  message. 

He  was  very  busy  taking  off  a  poor  fellow's  leg.  It  was  a 
horrible  sight,  and  made  me  sick  and  faint.  As  soon  as  the 
bone  had  been  sawed  off,  he  said — 

"You  will  find  all  the  wounded  I  have  dressed  in  the 
steerage  ;  those  they  have  brought  me  down  dead  are  in  the 
cockpit.  There  have  been  five  amputations  already ;  the 
master  is  badly  wounded,  and  Mr.  Williams,  the  mate,  is 
killed ;  those  whom  I  have  not  been  able  to  attend  to  yet 
are  here  in  the  gun-room.  You  must  ascertain  what  the 
captain  wishes  to  know  yourself,  Mr.  Keene  ;  I  cannot  leave 
a  leg  with  the  arteries  not  taken  up  to  count  heads.  Mr. 
Rivers,  the  tenaculum — ease  the  tourniquet,  now." 

184! 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

As  I  felt  what  the  doctor  said  to  be  true,  I  got  a  lantern 
and  commenced  my  examinations.  I  found  fourteen  wounded 
men  waiting  the  doctor's  care  in  the  gun-room,  which  was 
almost  a  pool  of  blood.  In  the  steerage  there  were  nine 
who  had  been  dressed,  and  four  in  their  hammocks  who  had 
undergone  amputation  of  the  arm  or  leg.  I  then  went  down 
into  the  cockpit,  where  I  counted  eleven  of  our  best  men 
lying  dead.  Having  obtained  the  information  required,  I 
was  proceeding  up  the  cockpit  ladder,  when  I  turned  towards 
the  purser's  steward's  room,  and  saw  Mr.  Culpepper,  the 
purser,  on  his  knees  before  a  lantern ;  he  looked  very  pale — 
he  turned  round  and  saw  me. 

"  What's  the  matter  ?  "  cried  he. 

"  Nothing,  sir ;  only  the  captain  wishes  to  know  how  many 
men  are  killed  and  wounded." 

"  Tell  him  I  do  not  know ;  surely  he  does  not  want  me  on 
deck  ?  " 

"  He  wants  to  know  how  many  men  are  hurt,  sir,"  replied 
I,  for  I  perceived  that  he  thought  that  the  message  was  sent 
to  him. 

"  Mercy  on  me  !  Stop  a  minute,  Mr.  Keene,  and  I'll  send 
up  word  by  you." 

"  I  can't  stop,  sir,"  replied  I,  going  up  the  ladder. 

Mr.  Culpepper  would  have  called  me  back,  but  I  preferred 
leaving  him  in  his  error,  as  I  wished  to  see  which  he  most 
dreaded,  the  captain's  displeasure  or  the  shot  of  the  enemy. 

I  returned  on  deck  and  made  my  report.  The  captain 
looked  very  grave,  but  made  no  reply. 

I  found  that  the  two  frigates  were  now  lying  stern  to  stern, 
and  firing  occasional  guns,  which  raked  fore  and  aft.  Except 
the  men  who  worked  the  guns  aft,  our  people  were  lying 
down  at  their  quarters,  by  the  order  of  the  captain. 

"  If  we  only  had  but  a  capful  of  wind,"  said  the  captain  to 
the  first  lieutenant,  "  but  I  see  no  appearance  of  it." 

I  touched  my  hat  and  said,  "  The  moon  will  rise  in  about 
ten  minutes,  sir,  and  she  often  brings  the  wind  up  with 
her." 

"That's  true,  Mr.  Keene,  but  it's  not  always  the  case.  I 
only  hope  she  will ;  if  not,  I  fear  we  shall  lose  more  of  our 
men." 

The  firing  continued,  and  our  mainmast  had  received  so 

Io5 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

many  shots,  that  we  were  obliged  to  wold  it  for  its  support. 
While  so  employed,  the  moon  rose,  and  the  two  vessels  had 
now  a  good  view  of  each  other.  I  directed  my  glass  to  the 
horizon  under  the  moon,  and  was  delighted  to  perceive  a 
black  line,  which  promised  wind  ;  I  reported  it  to  the  master, 
and  the  promise  was  kept  good,  for  in  a  quarter  of  an  hour 
our  sails  flapped,  and  then  gradually  filled. 

"  She  has  steerage  way,  sir,"  reported  Bob  Cross. 

"  Thank  Heaven  for  that,"  replied  Captain  Delmar.  "  Jump 
up,  men.  Brace  round  the  yards,  Mr.  Hippesley." 

"  The  enemy's  main-yard  is  cut  in  two  in  the  slings,  sir," 
reported  I,  after  I  had  my  glass  upon  her. 

"Then  her  last  hope  is  gone,"  replied  Mr.  Hippesley. 
<e  Haul  over  the  starboard  jib-sheet  forward — let  her  come 
to,  quartermaster.  Larboard  guns,  my  lads." 

"  Now,  my  men,"  cried  Captain  Dehnar,  "  make  short  work 
of  her." 

This  injunction  was  obeyed.  We  had  now  a  good  sight  of 
the  enemy,  and  brought  our  whole  broadside  to  bear  upon 
her  stern  ;  and  after  a  quarter  of  an  hour  more  firing  I  per- 
ceived that  her  ensign  was  no  longer  on  the  staff,  where  it 
had  been  hoisted  after  the  fall  of  the  mizzen-mast ;  neither 
had  she  for  the  last  five  minutes  given  us  a  gun  in  return. 

"  She  has  struck,  sir,  I  think,"  said  I  to  Captain  Delmar ; 
"her  ensign  is  down." 

"  Pass  the  word  '  Cease  firing/  Mr.  Hippesley  ;  but  let  the 
guns  be  all  reloaded. in  case  of  accidents.  Have  we  a  boat 
that  can  swim  ?  Examine  the  cutters,  Mr.  Keene." 

I  found  the  cutter  on  the  larboard  quarter  with  her 
bottom  out ;  she  could  not  swim,  that  was  clear.  The  star- 
board one  was  in  better  condition. 

"  The  starboard  cutter  will  float,  sir ;  her  gunwale  is  all 
torn  away,  but  there  are  rowlocks  enough  to  pull." 

"  Let  her  be  cleared  away  and  lowered  down,  Mr.  Hip- 
pesley. Send  for  the  second  lieutenant." 

"  I  believe  he's  not  on  deck,  sir,"  replied  the  first  lieutenant. 

"  Not  much  hurt,  I  hope  ?  " 

"  A  splinter,  I  was  told,  sir." 

"  Where's  Mr.  Wemyss,  the  third  lieutenant  ?  Mr.  Wemyss, 
jump  into  the  boat,  and  take  possession  of  the  prize.  Take 
as  many  men  as  you  can;  and,  Mr.  Keene,  go  with  Mr. 

186 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

Wemyss,  and  as  soon  as  you  have  gained  the  necessary  infor- 
mation, come  back  with  the  boat  and  two  hands." 

I  followed  the  third  lieutenant  into  the  boat,  and  we  pulled 
on  board  of  our  antagonist.  A  junior  officer  received  us  on  the 
deck,  and  presented  his  sword.  His  left  arm  was  bound  up, 
and  he  was  very  pale  from  loss  of  blood.  He  spoke  pretty 
good  English  ;  and  we  found  that  we  had  captured  the  Dort, 
Dutch  frigate,  of  thirty-eight  guns,  bound  to  Cura9oa,  with 
a  detachment  of  troops  for  the  garrison,  and  a  considerable 
quantity  of  ammunition  and  specie  on  board  for  the  use  of  the 
colony. 

We  inquired  whether  the  captain  was  much  hurt,  as  he  did 
not  appear  on  deck. 

"  He  is  dead,  gentlemen,"  replied  the  young  officer ;  "  he 
was  my  father.  Our  loss  has  been  very  great.  I  am  only  a 
cadet,  yet  I  am  commanding  officer." 

A  tear  rolled  down  his  cheek  as  he  said  the  captain  was  his 
father,  and  I  felt  for  him.  Shortly  afterwards  he  staggered  to 
a  carronade  slide,  and  dropped  down  on  it,  and  very  soon  was 
in  a  state  of  insensibility. 

The  carnage  had  been  dreadful,  and  the  bulwarks  of  the 
vessel  had  been  shattered  to  pieces.  The  scene  was  almost  as 
bad  as  the  Stella's  decks  before  she  was  blown  up  by  the  negro 
captain.  Several  of  the  guns  were  dismounted,  and  two  of 
them  had  burst.  I  had  only  time  to  go  round  the  gun-deck, 
and  then  I  ordered  two  hands  into  the  boat,  that  I  might 
make  my  report  to  Captain  Delmar. 

I  asked  the  third  lieutenant  to  allow  me  to  take  on  board 
the  young  officer,  who  still  remained  lifeless  on  the  carronade 
slide,  and  as  it  was  proper  for  me  to  bring  back  with  me  the 
commanding  officer,  he  consented.  We  lowered  him  with  a 
rope  into  the  boat,  and  then  I  returned  on  board  of  the  Calliope, 
and  went  up  to  the  captain  to  make  my  report,  and  present 
him  with  the  sword  of  the  officer  commanding  the  prize. 

Just  as  I  was  commencing  my  story,  Mr.  Culpepper  came  up 
without  his  wig,  and  in  a  state  of  great  disorder,  with  a  piece 
of  dirty  paper  in  his  hand.  He  trembled  very  much  from  the 
effects  of  his  alarm,  but  made  a  very  profound  bow,  and  said 
to  Captain  Delmar — 

"  Here  is  the  state  of  killed  and  wounded,  Captain  Delmar, 
as  far  as  I  have  been  able  to  collect  them.  I  could  not 

187 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

possibly  get  them  ascertained  before,  although  I  have  been  an 
hour  or  two  employed — ever  since  Mr.  Keene  came  down." 

The  captain,  who  did  not  like  the  interruption,  replied  very 
haughtily,  "  Mr.  Culpepper,  it's  the  duty  of  the  surgeon  to 
send  in  the  report  of  killed  and  wounded.  You  had  better  go 
down  below,  and  get  your  dress  in  a  little  better  order.  Now, 
Mr.  Keene." 

Old  Culpepper  slunk  away  as  I  proceeded  to  give  the  in- 
formation, and  the  captain  now  asked  the  carpenter  if  the 
pinnace  was  sufficiently  repaired. 

"  In  a  few  minutes,  sir,"  was  the  reply. 

"  Mr.  Hippesley,  you  must  then  send  forty  hands  on  board 
the  prize  to  repair  her  damages,  as  far  as  we  can.  Mr.  Wemyss 
must  remain  on  board." 

In  the  meantime  the  young  officer  had  been  taken  down 
below  to  the  surgeon,  who  had  now  some  leisure  to  attend  to 
him.  He  was  soon  restored,  and  the  surgeon  expressed  his 
opinion  that  it  would  be  possible  to  save  his  arm.  I  went 
down  to  see  him,  and  I  gave  him  my  hammock  to  sleep  in 
for  the  present,  and  as  soon  as  he  was  comfortably  arranged 
under  the  half-deck  I  returned  to  the  quarter-deck,  and  made 
myself  as  useful  as  I  could,  for  we  had  plenty  to  do  on  board 
of  our  own  frigate,  knotting  and  splicing,  having  only  made 
temporary  repairs. 

It  was  now  dawn  of  day,  and  very  soon  afterwards  broad 
daylight.  The  men  were  ordered  aft  with  the  buckets,  and 
the  decks,  which  were  smeared  and  black  with  powder  and 
the  blood  of  the  "wounded,  were  washed  down.  That  we 
were  all  very  tired  I  hardly  need  say,  but  it  was  not  yet 
time  for  repose ;  the  magazines  had  been  secured  and  the 
fires  lighted. 

Another  boat,  with  the  carpenter  and  assistant-surgeon, 
had  been  sent  on  board  the  prize  to  remedy  any  serious 
damage,  and  to  assist  in  dressing  the  wounded.  I  was  sent 
with  the  boat.  Mr.  Wemyss,  the  third  lieutenant,  had  not 
been  idle;  jury-masts  were  in  preparation,  the  decks  had 
been  cleared,  the  dead  thrown  overboard,  and  the  wounded 
taken  below. 

On  mustering  the  remainder  of  the  Dori's  ship's  company, 
and  calling  over  the  muster-roll  of  the  troops  on  board,  we 
found  that  she  had  lost  the  captain,  2  lieutenants,  and  10 

188 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

officers,  73  seamen,  and  61  soldiers,  killed ;  and  the  first 
lieutenant,  13  officers,  and  137  wounded — 147  killed  and 
151  wounded;  total,  298.  She  had  received  several  shot 
between  wind  and  water,  and  had  a  good  deal  of  water  in 
the  hold ;  this  was,  however,  soon  remedied  by  the  carpenter 
and  his  crew,  and  the  frigate  pumped  out  by  the  prisoners. 

I  returned  on  board  of  the  Calliope  with  this  intelligence 
to  the  captain,  and  found  that  the  surgeon  had  just  sent  in 
the  report  of  our  own  loss,  which  was,  1  officer  and  17  men 
killed — master,  2  lieutenants,  2  midshipmen,  and  47  wounded. 

"  Do  you  know  who  are  the  midshipmen  wounded  ?  "  said 
the  captain  to  me. 

"  I  heard  that  Mr.  James  was  killed,  sir,  but  not  the  names 
of  those  who  are  wounded ;  but  I  think  one  of  them  must  be 
Mr.  Dott,  or  we  certainly  should  have  seen  him  about." 

"  I  should  not  be  surprised,"  replied  the  captain.  "  Sentry, 
ask  who  are  the  young  gentlemen  wounded." 

The  sentry  replied,  "  Mr.  Castles  and  Mr.  Dott." 

"  Well,"  replied  the  captain,  "  he'll  be  in  no  more  mischief 
for  some  time  ;  I  heard  of  his  trick  to  the  purser." 

As  the  captain  was  saying  this,  I  perceived  the  piece  of 
paper  which  the  purser  had  brought  up  as  his  report  of 
killed  and  wounded  lying  on  the  table  with  the  other  reports. 
It  had,  apparently,  not  been  examined  by  the  captain,  but 
my  eye  caught  it,  and  I  observed,  written  in  a  shaking  hand, 
''Pieces  of  beef,  10;  ditto  pork,  19;  raisins,  17;  marines, 
10."  I  could  not  help  smiling. 

"  What  are  you  amused  with,  Mr.  Keene,  may  I  ask  ?  "  said 
the  captain,  rather  gravely. 

"  I  beg  your  pardon,  sir,  for  venturing  so  in  your  pre- 
sence," replied  I ;  "  but  it  is  Mr.  Culpepper's  report  of  killed 
and  wounded ; "  which  J  then  took  up,  and  handed  to  the 
captain. 

This  proof  of  Mr.  Culpepper's  state  of  mind  during  the 
conflict  was  too  much  for  even  Captain  Delmar,  who  laughed 
outright. 

"  The  old  fool ! "  muttered  he.  "  You  may  go  now,  Mr. 
Keene.  If  breakfast  is  ready,  tell  Mr.  Hippesley  to  let  the 
men  have  it  as  soon  as  possible." 

"  Ay,  ay,  sir,"  replied  I,  and  bowing  respectfully,  I  quitted 
the  cabin  ;  for  I  felt  that  Captain  Delmar  thought  that  he 

189 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

had  not  been  quite  so  reserved  towards  me  as  he  always 
wished  to  be. 

As  soon  as  I  had  given  the  captain's  orders,  I  went  down 
to  find  out  Tommy  Dott.  He  was  in  his  hammock  next  to 
mine,  in  which  I  had  put  the  young  Dutch  officer.  Dott  was 
wide  awake,  and  apparently  very  feverish. 

"  Where  are  you  hurt,  Tommy  ?  " 

"  I  am  sure  I  don't  know,"  said  he.  "  Get  me  some  water, 
Keene." 

I  got  a  pannikin  of  water,  and  he  drank  it. 

"  Don't  you  know  where  you  are  hurt  ?  " 

"  I  believe  it's  my  side — somewhere  about  the  body,  I 
know ;  but  I'm  so  stiff  all  over,  that  I  can't  tell  exactly 
where.  Something  hit  me,  and  I  fell  right  down  the 
hatchway ;  that's  all  I  knew  about  it  until  I  found  myself  in 
my  hammock." 

"  Well,  at  all  events,  you  won't  be  punished  now  for  drop- 
ping the  quid  into  Mr.  Culpepper's  mouth." 

"  No,"  replied  Tommy,  with  a  smile,  in  spite  of  his  pain ; 
"but  I  would  have  played  him  a  better  trick  than  that  if 
I  had  had  any  idea  that  we  should  have  been  so  soon  in 
action.  I  wish  I  could  turn  round,  Keene — I  think  I  should 
be  easier." 

I  turned  poor  Tommy  in  his  hammock,  and  then  left  him. 
I  looked  at  the  son  of  the  Dutch  captain — he  was  slumber- 
ing ;  he  was  a  very  slight  youth,  with  very  beautiful,  but 
very  feminine  features.  I  felt  a  kindness  towards  him,  poor 
fellow ;  for  he  had  lost  his  father,  and  he  was  about  to  pass 
his  best  years  in  prison.  But  the  boatswain's  mates  piped  to 
breakfast,  and  I  hastened  down  into  the  berth  to  get  my 
share  of  the  cocoa. 

As  soon  as  the  men  had  finished  their  breakfast,  the  hands 
were  again  turned  up,  the  lower  deck  cleai'ed  and  washed, 
new  sails  bent,  and  the  guns  properly  secured  ;  screens  were 
put  up  round  the  half-deck  where  the  wounded  were  in  their 
beds.  The  dead  were  brought  up  and  sewed  up  in  their 
hammocks,  laid  out  on  gratings,  and  covered  with  the  ensign 
and  Union  Jack,  preparatory  to  their  being  committed  to  the 
deep.  Another  party  was  sent  to  assist  on  board  of  the  prize, 
and  the  prisoners  were  brought  on  board,  and  put  down  in 
the  fore-hold,  which  had  been  cleared  for  their  reception. 

190 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

By  noon  everything  was  so  far  ready  that  we  were  enabled 
to  take  the  prize  in  tow,  and  make  sail  on  the  Calliope,  after 
which,  the  men,  who  were  exhausted,  went  to  dinner,  and 
were  permitted  to  sleep  during  the  remainder  of  the  day 
until  the  evening,  when  the  ship's  company  was  ordered  up, 
and  the  dead  were  committed  to  the  deep  blue  sea  with  the 
usual  ceremonies. 

The  breeze  was  steady,  but  the  water  was  smooth  during 
the  night,  and  glad  I  was  to  throw  myself  on  one  of  the 
lockers  in  the  midshipmen's  berth,  after  so  many  hours  of 
excitement.  I  slept  till  four  in  the  morning,  and  finding 
the  planks  not  quite  so  soft  as  they  might  be,  I  then  turned 
into  the  hammock  of  the  midshipman  of  the  morning  watch, 
and  remained  till  six  bells,  when  Bob  Cross  came  down  and 
told  me  that  the  captain  would  soon  be  on  deck. 

"Well,  Cross,"  said  I,  as  I  came  on  deck  and  went  aft  to 
look  at  the  prize  in  tow,  "  this  is  a  nice  business,  and  our 
captain  will  gain  a  great  deal  of  credit." 

"  And  he  deserves  it,  Master  Keene,"  replied  Cross ;  t(  as  I 
said  before,  I  never  had  an  idea  that  he  could  handle  his 
ship  so  well — no,  nor  none  of  the  ship's  company.  We  all 
thought  Mr.  Hippesley  the  best  officer  of  the  two,  but  we 
have  found  out  our  mistake.  The  fact  is,  Mr.  Keene,  Captain 
Delmar  wraps  himself  up  in  his  dignity  like  a  cloak,  and 
there's  no  making  him  out,  till  circumstances  oblige  him  to 
take  it  off." 

" That's  very  true,  Bob,"  replied  I ;  "it  is  only  this  very 
morning  that  he  laughed  himself,  and  I  laughed  also,  and  he 
pulled  up  immediately  afterwards,  twice  as  stiff  to  me  as 
before." 

I  then  told  Bob  of  Mr.  Culpepper's  report,  which  amused 
him  very  much. 

"  I  am  sure  that  he  is  pleased  with  you,  Mr.  Keene, 
and  I  must  say  that  you  were  very  useful  and  very 
active." 

"  Do  you  know  that  the  carpenter  says  that  we  have  re- 
ceived injuries  that  cannot  be  well  repaired  without  the  ship 
going  into  dock  ?  and  I  should  not  be  surprised  if  we  were  to 
be  sent  home,  if  the  survey  confirms  his  report.  I  hope  we 
shall ;  I  am  tired  of  the  West  Indies,  and  I  should  like  to  see 
my  mother.  We  have  a  nice  breeze  now,  and  we  are  two 

191 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

points  free.  If  it  lasts,  we  shall  be  at  Jamaica  in  a  fortnight 
or  less." 

The  captain  coming  on  deck  put  an  end  to  our  conversation. 

Before  night  the  prize  had  got  up  jury-masts,  and  sail  set 
upon  them,  and  we  went  through  the  water  more  rapidly. 
In  ten  days  we  arrived  at  Port  Royal  with  our  prize.  The 
captain  went  on  shore,  and  what  was  still  more  agreeable,  we 
got  rid  of  all  our  prisoners  and  wounded  men.  A  survey,  in 
consequence  of  the  carpenter's  report,  was  held  upon  the 
Calliope,  and  the  result  was,  she  was  ordered  home  to  be 
repaired.  The  Dort  was  commissioned  by  the  admiral,  and 
Mr.  Hippesley  received  an  acting  order  to  the  sloop  of  war, 
which  had  become  vacant  by  the  commander  of  her  being 
promoted  into  the  Dort,  which  was  now  christened  the 
Curaqoa. 

In  ten  days  after  our  arrival  we  were  ready,  and  made  sail 
for  Old  England.  Tommy  Dott  and  the  second  lieutenant 
remained  on  board,  and  were  both  convalescent  before  we 
entered  the  Channel.  Tommy  Dott's  wound,  by-the-bye, 
was  a  splinter  in  the  back,  added  to  severe  bruises  from, 
tumbling  down  the  hatchway. 

Captain  Delmar  had  shown  great  kindness  to  the  son  of 
the  Dutch  captain,  and  he  did  not  send  him  on  shore  with 
the  rest  of  the  prisoners,  but  permitted  him  to  remain,  and 
come  home  in  the  Calliope.  He  recovered  slowly,  but  was 
soon  out  of  danger,  and  was  walking  about  with  his  arm  in  a 
sling  long  before  we  arrived  in  England.  It  appeared  to  me 
that,  during  the  passage  home,  old  Culpepper  was  not  so 
much  in  the  good  graces  of  Captain  Delmar  as  he  used  to 
be ;  he  was,  however,  more  obsequious  than  ever.  We  had 
a  fine  run  home,  and  in  seven  weeks  from  our  leaving  Port 
Royal,  we  dropped  our  anchor  at  Spithead. 

I  may  have  been  wrong,  but  it  certainly  did  appear  to  me 
that  as  we  neared  the  coast  of  England,  the  behaviour  of 
Captain  Delmar  was  more  reserved  to  me  (I  may  say  it  was 
harsher)  than  ever  it  had  been  before.  Hurt  at  treatment 
which  I  felt  I  did  not  deserve,  I  tried  to  analyse  the  cause  as 
I  walked  up  and  down  the  deck,  and  at  last  I  decided  that 
his  pride  was  again  alarmed.  On  the  one  hand  he  was  re- 
turning to  his  own  country,  to  meet  with  his  aristocratical 
connections,  and  on  the  other  he  was  reminded  of  my  mother 

192 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

and  his  mesalliance  with  her — if  such  a  term  can  be  used  to  A 
woman  who  had  sacrificed  herself  to  one  above  her  in  rank. 
At  all  events,  I  was  the  result  of  that  connection,  and  I  pre- 
sumed that  he  was  ashamed  of  it,  and  consequently  kept  me 
at  a  distance,  and  checked  his  feelings  towards  me.  Perhaps 
he  thought  that  my  mother  might  be  induced  to  disclose  to 
me  that  which  I  had  under  his  own  handwriting,  and  wore 
next  my  heart ;  or  he  might  consider  I  was  no  longer  a  boy, 
but  a  tall  young  man,  and  one  who  might  be  induced  to 
claim  his  protection.  Such  were  my  reflections,  and  my 
resolutions  were  taken  accordingly — I  wanted  no  Bob  Cross 
to  counsel  me  now.  /•' 

When  the  captain  left  the  ship,  I  made  no  request,  as  did 
the  other  midshipmen,  for  leave  to  see  my  friends  ;  nor  even 
when  he  returned  on  board,  which  he  did  several  times  after 
the  ship  had  gone  into  harbour,  and  was  stripping,  preparatory 
to  being  docked.  One  thing,  however,  gave  me  great  satis- 
faction, which  was  that  when  the  despatch  which  we  brought 
home  was  published,  I  found  my  name  honourably  mentioned 
in  conjunction  with  other  officers,  and  but  three  midshipmen 
were  named. 

When  the  Calliope  went  into  dock,  the  report  of  the  dock- 
yard was  very  unfavourable.  She  required  a  thorough  repair, 
which  would  take  some  months.  She  was  therefore  ordered 
to  be  paid  off.  In  the  meantime  the  captain  had  gone  to 
London.  During  his  sojourn  at  Portsmouth,  I  had  never 
spoken  to  him,  except  on  duty,  and  he  had  left  me  without 
a  word  of  explanation  as  to  his  intentions  towards  me.  As 
soon,  however,  as  the  order  came  down  for  paying  off  the 
ship,  I  received  a  letter  from  him,  very  cold  and  stiff,  stating 
that  I  might,  if  I  pleased,  join  any  other  ship,  and  he  would 
recommend  me  to  the  captain ;  or  I  might  remain  on  the 
books  of  the  guard-ship,  and  wait  until  he  commissioned 
another  vessel,  when  he  would  be  happy  to*  take  me 
with  him. 

My  reply  was  immediate.  I  thanked  him  for  his  kindness, 
and  hoped  I  might  remain  on  board  the  guard-ship  until  he 
took  the  command  of  another  vessel,  as  I  did  not  wish  to 
sail  with  any  other  captain.  I  had  been  brought  forward  by 
him  in  the  service,  and  preferred  waiting  for  months  rather 
than  lose  his  kind  protection. 

193  N 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

The  only  reply  to  my  letter  was  an  order  from  the 
Admiralty,  for  me  to  be  discharged  into  the  guard-ship  when 
the  Calliope  was  paid  off. 

I  hardly  need  say  that  I  had  written  and  received  letters 
from  my  mother,  who  was  delighted  at  my  name  being  men- 
tioned in  the  despatches ;  but  I  will  defer  family  news  till 
the  proper  opportunity,  as  I  must  first  tell  all  that  occurred 
in  the  Calliope  before  she  was  paid  off. 

The  reader  will  recollect  that  the  son  of  the  Dutch 
captain,  whose  name  was  Vangilt,  had  been  permitted  to 
come  home  in  the  ship,  instead  of  being  sent  to  prison.  He 
and  I  were  very  intimate,  and  when  I  discovered  that  he 
was  the  cousin  of  Minnie  Vanderwelt,  I  became  more  partial 
to  him.  He  was  very  melancholy  during  the  passage  home  ; 
how,  indeed,  could  he  be  otherwise,  with  the  prospect  of 
being  a  prisoner  during  the  remainder  of  the  war  ?  and  he 
often  expressed  his  feelings  on  the  subject. 

"  Could  you  not  escape  ?  "  said  I,  one  evening. 

"  I  fear  not,"  replied  he.  "  If  once  out  of  prison,  I  have 
no  doubt  but  that  I  could  get  a  conveyance  over  the  Channel 
by  means  of  the  smugglers ;  indeed  I  have  connections  in 
England  who  would  assist  me." 

When  Captain  Delmar  went  away  to  town,  he  had  quite 
forgotten  the  poor  fellow,  and  Mr.  Wemyss,  who  was  the 
commanding  officer,  did  not  make  any  special  report  of  him, 
as  he  thought  he  might  defer  it  till  the  last  moment,  as 
every  day  out  of  prison  would  be  so  much  gained  by  young 
Vangilt,  who  was  a  general  favourite. 

In  this  instance,  my  regard  for  the  young  man  made  me 
quite  forget  my  duty  as  an  officer,  and  the  Articles  of  War. 
I  knew  that  I  was  about  to  do  wrong ;  but  I  considered  that, 
with  so  many  thousand  prisoners  which  we  had  in  England, 
one  more  or  less  could  be  of  no  consequence,  and  I  set  to 
work  to  see  if  I  could  not  effect  his  escape. 

After  much  cogitation,  I  found  I  could  do  nothing  with- 
out Bob  Cross,  and  I  consulted  with  him.  Bob  shook  his, 
head,  and  said  it  was,  he  believed,  a  hanging  matter ;  but, 
after  all,  it  was  a  pity  that  such  a  nice  lad  should  be  peeping 
between  iron  bars.  "  Besides,"  continued  he,  "  he  lost  his 
father  in  the  action,  and  he  ought  not  to  lose  his  liberty  also. 
Well,  Mr.  Keene,  show  me  how  I  can  help  you." 

194 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

"Why,  Bob,  there's  a  very  pretty  little  girl,  who  very 
often  comes  alongside  with  the  old  woman,  and  you  go  down 
into  the  boat  and  talk  with  her." 

"Yes,  sir,"  replied  Bob,  "that's  the  little  girl  I  told  you 
of,  that  used  to  repeat  her  fables  on  my  knee.  The  fact 
is,  I  hope  to  splice  her  some  of  these  days.  It's  her  mother 
who  is  with  her,  and  she  will  not  let  her  come  on  board 
to  mix  with  the  other  women,  because  she  is  good  arid 
modest ;  too  good  for  me,  I'm  afraid,  in  one  sense  of  the 
word." 

"  How  do  you  mean,  Bob  ?  " 

"Why,  sir,  when  I  first  knew  her,  she  and  her  mother 
were  living  upon  what  they  could  earn,  for  the  father  was 
killed  in  action  many  years  ago,  and  I  used  to  help  them  as 
far  as  I  could ;  but  now  I  find  that,  although  they  are  not 
changed,  things  are,  most  confoundedly.  Her  uncle  lost  his 
wife ;  he  is  considered  a  rich  man,  and  being  stone-blind, 
and  having  no  one  to  take  care  of  him  after  his  wife's  death, 
he  sent  for  this  girl  and  her  mother  to  keep  his  house, 
and  he  is  very  fond  of  the  girl,  and  declares  that  he  will 
leave  her  all  his  money,  and  that  she  shall  marry  well. 
Now,  sir,  if  she  was  to  marry  me,  a  petty  officer  only,  it 
would  not  be  considered  that  she  married  well ;  so  you  see, 
sir,  there's  a  hitch." 

"  Who  and  what  was  he  ?  " 

"  He  was  a  smuggler,  sir,  and  a  very  successful  one ;  he 
has  six  or  seven  houses,  all  his  own  property,  besides  the 
one  he  lives  in  himself.  He  lives  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
out  of  Gosport.  I  know  all  about  him,  although  I  have 
never  seen  him.  Soon  after  he  left  off  smuggling,  he  lost 
his  eyesight,  and,  somehow  or  another,  he  considered  it  was 
a  judgment  upon  him — at  least  his  wife,  who  had  joined 
the  Ranters,  persuaded  him  so — and  so  he  took  a  religious 
turn,  and  now  he  does  nothing  but  pray,  and  call  himself  a 
poor  blind  sinner." 

"Well,  Bob,  but  I  do  not  see  why  you  should  give  up 
the  girl." 

"  No,  sir ;  nor  will  she  or  her  mother  give  me  up.  I  could 
marry  her  to-morrow  without  his  consent,  but  I  do  not  like 
to  do  her  that  injury." 

"He  is  stone-blind,  you  say?" 

195 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

"Yes,  sir." 

"  We'll  talk  your  affair  over  another  time.  What  I  want 
at  present  is,  to  help  this  poor  young  Vangilt  to  escape. 
He  says,  that  if  once  clear,  the  smugglers  would  put  him 
on  the  other  side  of  the  water.  Now,  it  appears  to  me  that 
it  would  be  very  easy  for  him  to  get  out  of  the  ship  un- 
perceived,  if  he  were  dressed  in  woman's  clothes,  so  many 
women  are  going  and  coming  all  day  long." 

"  Very  true,  sir,  especially  on  pay-day,  when  nobody  keeps 
any  look-out  at  all.  I  see  now,  you  want  some  of  Mary's 
clothes  for  him ;  they  would  fit  very  well." 

"Exactly;  and  I  think  that,  as  her  uncle  has  been  a 
smuggler,  we  might  go  and  consult  him  as  to  his  escape  over 
the  water.  Vangilt  will  pay  £100  with  pleasure — he  toJd 
me  so.  That  will  be  an  introduction  for  you  as  well  as  for 
me  to  the  old  fellow." 

"I  think  we  had  better  let  the  old  fellow  suppose  it's 
a  woman — don't  you,  sir  ?  But  what  shall  we  call  our- 
selves ?  " 

"Why,  I  will  be  a  sort  of  agent  for  ships,  and  you  shall 
be  a  captain." 

"  A  captain,  Mr.  Keene  ?  " 

"Yes ;  a  captain,  who  has  had  a  ship,  and  expects  another. 
Why,  you  were  a  captain  of  the  foretop  before  you  were 
rated  coxswain." 

"  Well,  sir,  I  must  consult  Mary  and  her  mother,  and  then 
I'll  let  you  know ;  they  will  come  this  afternoon.  Perhaps 
in  helping  Mr.  Vangilt,  I  may  help  myself." 

That  night  Bob  Cross  told  me  that  Mary  and  her  mother 
were  quite  willing  to  assist,  and  that  they  thought  it  would 
be  a  very  good  introduction  to  old  Waghorn ;  that  we  must 
expect  some  religious  scruples  at  first,  but  we  must  persevere, 
and  they  had  no  doubt  that  the  old  man  would  contrive  to 
get  the  young  man  over  to  Cherbourg,  or  some  other  place 
on  the  other  side ;  that  we  had  better  call  on  him  in  the 
evening,  and  they  would  be  out  of  the  way. 

As  soon  as  the  work  was  over  for  the  day,  Bob  Cross  and 
I  obtained  leave,  and  set  off  for  Mr.  Waghorn's  house.  We 
were  met  by  Mary  and  her  mother,  who  pointed  it  out  to  us, 
and  then  continued  their  walk.  We  went  to  the  door,  and 
found  the  old  man  smoking  his  pipe. 

196  ' 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

"  Who's  there  ? "  cried  he,  as  we  lifted  the  latch  of  the 
gate. 

"  Friends,  sir,"  replied  Cross ;  "  two  persons  who  come  to 
talk  on  business." 

"  Business  !  I've  no  business — I've  done  with  business  long 
ago ;  I  think  of  nothing  but  my  perishing  soul — poor  blind 
worm  that  I  am." 

He  was  a  very  fine-looking  old  man,  although  weather- 
beaten,  and  his  silver  locks  hung  down  on  his  collar ;  his 
beard  was  not  shaved,  but  clipped  with  scissors ;  his  want  of 
sight  gave  him  a  mournful  look. 

"  Nevertheless,  sir,  I  must  introduce  myself  and  my  friend, 
the  captain,"  replied  I,  "  for  we  want  your  assistance." 

"My  assistance!  poor  blind  beetle— how  can  I  assist  you  ?  " 

"The  fact  is,  sir,  that  a  young  woman  is  very  anxious  to 
return  to  her  friends  on  the  other  side  of  the  water ;  and 
knowing  that  you  have  acquaintance  with  those  who  run  to 
and  fro,  we  thought  you  might  help  the  poor  young  woman 
to  a  passage." 

"That's  to  say,  you've  heard  that  I  was  a  smuggler. 
People  do  say  so ;  but,  gentlemen,  I  now  pay  customs  and 
excise — my  tea  has  paid  duty,  and  so  has  my  tobacco ;  so 
does  everything — the  king  has  his  own.  The  Bible  says, 
'  Render  unto  Caesar  the  things  which  are  Caesar's.'  Gentle- 
men, I  stand  by  the  Bible.  I  am  a  poor,  sinful  old  wretch 
— God  forgive  me." 

"  We  ask  nothing  against  the  Bible,  Mr.  Waghorn ;  it's 
our  duty  to  assist  those  who  are  in  distress ;  it's  only  a  poor 
young  woman." 

"A  poor  young  woman.  If  she's  poor,  people  don't  do 
such  work  for  nothing ;  besides,  it's  wrong,  gentlemen — I've 
given  up  all  that — I've  a  precious  soul  to  look  after,  and  I 
can't  divert  my  attention  from  it.  I  wish  you  good-bye, 
gentlemen." 

At  this  moment  Mary  and  her  mother  returned,  and  we 
rose  up. 

"Mrs.  James,  is  that  you  and  Mary?  Here's  a  captain 
and  his  friend  come  to  me ;  but  it's  a  fool's  errand,  and  so 
I've  told  them." 

I  then  stated  to  Mrs.  James  what  we  had  come  for,  and 
begged  that  she  would  persuade  Mr.  Waghorn. 

197 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

"  Well,  Mr.  Waghorn,  why  won't  you  ? — it's  a  good  action, 
and  will  have  its  reward  in  heaven." 

"Yes;  but  she's  a  poor  young  woman,  and  can't  pay  her 
passage,  so  it's  no  use." 

"  On  the  contrary,"  replied  I,  "  the  captain  here  will 
become  security,  that  £100  shall  be  paid  down  as  soon  as 
she  arrives  in  any  part  of  France  or  Holland." 

"  Will  he  ?     But  who's  the  captain  ?  " 

"  I  haven't  a  ship  just  now,  but  I  expect  one  soon,"  replied 
Bob,  "and  the  money  shall  be  paid  at  once,  if  you  will  only 
receive  the  young  woman  until  she  can  be  sent  off." 

"Well,  let  me  see — there's  James  Martin;  no,  he  won't 
do.  There's  Will  Simpson;  yes,  that's  the  man.  Well,  it's 
a  good  act ;  and,  captain,  when  will  you  bring  the  money  ?  " 

Now  the  ship  was  to  be  paid  off  on  Wednesday,  and  as  we 
had  each  three  years'  pay  due,  there  was  no  difficulty  about 
that ;  so  I  replied,  "  On  Wednesday,  the  captain  will  give 
the  money  to  this  lady,  or  whoever  comes  with  us  to  receive 
the  young  woman  ;  will  you  not,  Captain  Cross  ?  " 

"Oh  !  certainly;  the  money  is  ready  at  an  hour's  notice," 
replied  Bob.  "  I'm  sure  that  she'll  pay  me  back,  if  she  can  ; 
and  if  she  can't,  it's  of  no  consequence." 

"Well,  well,  it's  a  bargain,"  replied  the  old  man.  "  I'm  a 
poor  blind  beetle,  a  sinful  old  soul ;  I've  nothing  to  do  but 
to  make  my  peace  with  Heaven.  It's  charity — '  Charity 
covereth  a  multitude  of  sins,'  saith  St.  Paul.  Recollect  £100 
— that's  the  bargain.  I'll  send  Mrs.  James  to  you  ;  you  must 
not  call  again  till  she's  on  the  other  side  of  the  water." 

"  Many  thanks,  sir,"  replied  Bob.  "  I  won't  call  till  I 
hear  she  is  safe,  and  then  I'll  bring  you  some  tobacco  to 
smoke,  such  as  you  don't  often  pick  up  nowadays." 

"  Happy  to  see  you,  Captain  Cross,  and  your  friend  there," 
replied  the  old  man. 

We  then  took  our  leave.  Mrs.  James,  after  we  were  gone, 
praised  the  appearance  of  Captain  Cross,  as  such  a  nice-look- 
ing man,  and  old  Waghorn  evidently  thought  well  of  him 
by  the  answer  he  made.  Mary,  however,  pretended  to 
prefer  me. 

As  soon  as  I  returned  on  board,  I  told  young  Vangilt  what 
I  had  been  about.  He  wrung  my  hand,  and  the  tears  started 
in  his  eyes.  "  You,  as  an  officer,  are  indeed  risking  much  for 

198 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

me.  As  to  the  money,  you  know  me,  I  trust,  too  well  not  toA 
be  sure  of  receiving  it  as  soon  as  I  can  send  it ;  but  I  never 
can  repay  your  kindness." 

"  Perhaps  you  may  be  able  to  help  me  one  of  these  days," 
I  replied.  "  Who  knows  ?  It's  fortune  of  war,  my  goal 
fellow  ;  but  it's  as  well  not  to  be  seen  too  much  together." 
So  saying,  I  left  him. 

The  next  day  Mrs.  James  came  off  with  the  necessary  gar- 
ments and  bonnet  for  his  escape,  and  they  were  given  me  by 
Bob  Cross.  The  day  after  was  pay-day  ;  and  the  ship  was  in 
such  a  state  of  confusion,  and  there  were  so  many  people  on 
boai'd,  that  there  was  no  difficulty  whatever.  Vangilt  changed 
his  clothes  in  the  midshipmen's  berth,  which  was  empty,  and 
Bob  Cross  handed  him  down  the  side  into  the  boat,  where  Mrs. 
James  waited  to  receive  him.  Bob  and  I  had  both  been  paid, 
and  we  gave  her  the  £100  for  old  Waghorn.  The  boat  shoved 
off;  Vangilt  arrived  safe  at  Waghorn's  house,  where  he  was 
kept  concealed  for  eight  days,  when,  for  the  sum  of  £20,  he 
was  safely  landed  on  the  French  coast,  old  Waghorn  having 
pocketed  £80  by  the  transaction,  which,  considering  he  acted 
out  of  pure  charity,  was  a  pretty  good  reward. 

Having  thus  successfully  managed,  by  being  guilty  of  high 
treason,  in  aiding  and  abetting  the  enemy,  I  bade  farewell  to 
Bob  Cross,  leaving  him  to  follow  up  his  amour,  while  I  went 
to  Chatham  to  pay  my  respects  to  my  mother.  I  had  made 
up  my  mind  how  to  act.  I  was  no  longer  a  child,  but  a  man 
in  reflection  as  well  as  appearance. 

I  arrived,  and  hastened  to  the  house  from  which  I  had 
escaped  so  mysteriously  the  last  time  I  was  in  it.  My  mother 
threw  herself  in  my  arms,  embracing  me,  and  then  looking  at 
me  with  surprise  and  pleasure.  Three  years  and  a  half  had 
changed  me  ;  she  hardly  knew  me,  for  her  association  of  ideas 
had  still  pictured  me  as  the  smart  stripling  whom  she  had, 
with  so  much  anguish,  consigned  into  the  hands  of  Bob  Cross. 
She  was  proud  of  me — my  adventures,  my  dangers,  my  con- 
duct, and  my  honourable  mention  in  the  Gazette,  were  all 
known  to  her,  and  she  had  been  evidently  congratulated  by 
many  upon  my  successful  career.  My  grandmother,  who  had 
groAvn  much  older  in  appearance,  seemed  to  be  softened 
towards  me,  and  I  had  sense  enough  to  receive  her  advances 
with  great  apparent  cordiality.  My  aunt  and  the  captain 

199 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

were  delighted  to  see  me,  and  I  found  that  my  two  cousins, 
of  whose  appearance  I  had  been  duly  apprised,  were  very 
pretty  children.  I  found  that  my  mother  had  two  assistants 
in  her  business,  and  everything  appeared  to  be  on  a  grander 
scale,  and  more  flourishing  than  ever. 

The  first  two  or  three  "days  were  devoted  to  narratives, 
communications,  explanations,  and  admirations,  as  is  usually 
the  case  after  so  long  an  absence ;  after  which  we  quietly 
settled  down  in  the  relative  positions  of  mother  and  son,  and 
she  assumed,  or  rather  would  have  assumed,  her  control  over 
me.  But  this  was  not  my  wish ;  I  had  made  up  my  mind 
that,  although  a  clever  woman,  I  must  in  future  control  her, 
and  I  took  the  first  opportunity  of  a  long  tete-a-tete  to  let 
her  know  that  such  was  my  intention. 

Speaking  of  Captain  Delmar,  I  at  once  told  her  that  I 
knew  he  was  my  father,  and  that  I  had  his  own  handwriting 
to  prove  it.  She  denied  it  at  first ;  but  I  told  her  that  all 
denial  was  useless,  that  I  had  possession  of  the  letter  he  had 
written  to  her  upon  my  supposed  death,  and  that  it  was  no 
ghost,  but  I,  who  had  frightened  my  grandmother. 

This  was  my  first  blow,  and  a  heavy  one,  to  my  poor 
mother ;  for  what  woman  can  bear  to  be  humiliated  by  her 
offspring  being  acquainted  with  her  indiscretion  ?  I  loved  my 
mother,  and  would  fain  have  spared  her  this  pang,  had  it  not 
been  that  all  my  future  plans  were  based  upon  this  one  point, 
and  it  was  necessary  she  should  aid  and  abet  me  in  them. 

My  poor  mother  was  bowed  to  the  earth  when  she  found 
that  it  was  in  vain  to  deny  my  parentage ;  she  covered  her 
face  with  her  hands  in  deep  shame  before  her  child,  but  I 
consoled,  and  caressed,  and  told  her  (what  I  really  felt)  that  I 
was  indebted  to  her  for  not  being  the  son  of  a  private  marine  ; 
that,  at  all  events,  I  had  noble  blood  in  my  veins,  and  would 
prove  myself  worthy  of  my  descent,  whether  it  were  acknow- 
ledged or  not.  But  from  that  hour  I  took  the  command  over 
her — from  that  hour  it  was  I  that  dictated,  and  her  authority 
as  a  parent  was  gone  for  ever.  Let  it  not  be  imagined  that 
I  treated  her  harshly ;  on  the  contrary,  I  was  more  kind,  and, 
before  other  people,  more  dutiful  than  ever  I  was  before. 
She  was  my  only  confidant,  and  to  her  only  did  I  explain  the 
reasons  of  my  actions :  she  was  my  adviser,  but  her  advice 
was  not  that  of  a  parent,  but  that  of  a  humble,  devoted,  and 

200 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

attached  friend ;  and  during  the  remainder  of  her  days  this 
position  was  never  altered. 

As  soon  as  my  mother  had  acknowledged  the  fact,  there 
was  no  longer  any  reservation  on  my  part.  I  told  her  what 
was  the  conduct  of  Captain  Delmar  towards  me.  I  pointed 
out  his  checking  any  display  of  paternal  feelings  towards  me, 
and  also  the  certainty  that  I  had  that  he  was  partial  to  and 
proud  of  me.  I  explained  to  her  the  line  of  conduct  which 
I  had  pursued,  and  was  determined  still  to  pursue,  towards 
him. 

"Percival,"  said  my  mother,  "I  see  the  judiciousness  of 
what  you  say,  and  of  your  behaviour  towards  him  ;  but  allow 
me  to  ask  you,  What  is  the  object  you  are  aiming  at — I 
mean  particularly  aiming  at  ?  Of  course  you  hope  to  obtain 
advancement  from  his  interest,  and  perhaps,  if  he  becomes 
more  attached  to  you,  he  may  not  forget  you  when  he  dies ; 
but  it  appears"  to  me  that  you  have  something  nearer  to  your 
heart  than  all  this — tell  me,  am  I  right  ?  " 

"  You  are,  my  dear  mother ;  my  great  end  is,  that  Captain 
Delmar  should  acknowledge  me  as  his  son." 

"  I  fear  that  he  will  never  do  that,  Percival ;  nor,  indeed, 
do  I  think  you  would  gain  by  it.  When  you  are  more  ad- 
vanced in  the  world,  your  parentage  may  be  considered  as 
obscure,  but  still,  being  born  in  wedlock,  it  will  be  more 
respectable  than  the  acknowledgment  you  would  seek  from 
Captain  Delmar.  You  are  not  aware  of  the  affronts  you  may 
meet  with  by  obtaining  what  you  evidently  wish ;  and  once 
known  as  the  son  of  Captain  Delmar,  you  may  wish  that  it 
was  never  promulgated." 

"  I  was  born  in  wedlock,  mother,  as  you  say,  and  as  many 
others  are,  who  now  are  peers  of  the  realm,  and  in  virtue  of 
their  being  born  in  wedlock,  succeed  to  property  to  which 
they  would  otherwise  not  be  entitled.  Your  shame  (excuse 
ine  for  using  the  word)  and  my  disgrace  are  equally  covered 
by  that  wedlock,  which  is  an  answer  to  any  accusations  of 
illegitimacy.  As  to  affronts,  I  do  not  fear  them,  or  ever 
shall,  from  those  who  know  me.  I  can  defend  and  protect 
myself;  but  it  is  a  great  difference  to  me  to  let  the  world 
suppose  that  I  am  the  son  of  Ben  the  marine,  when  I  know 
myself  to  be  the  son  of  the  future  Lord  de  Versely.  I  wish 
to  be  acknowledged  by  Captain  Delmar  in  such  a  way  as 

201, 


to  convince  the  world  that  such  is  the  fact,  without  the 
world  being  able  to  throw  it  up  in  my  face.  This  is  easily 
done  if  Captain  Delmar  chooses  to  do  it;  and  if  done  as 
it  ought  to  be  done,  will  lead  to  my  benefit.  At  all  events, 
it  will  satisfy  my  pride ;  for  I  feel  that  I  am  not  the  son 
of  your  husband,  but  have  blood  boiling  in  my  veins  which 
would  satisfy  the  proudest  aristocrat.  I  prefer  the  half 
relation  to  that  class,  such  as  it  is,  with  all  its  penalties,  to 
being  supposed  to  be  the  son  of  the  man  whom,  from 
prudential  motives  alone,  you  took  to  be  your  husband." 

"Well,  Percival,  I  cannot  blame  you;  and  do  not  you, 
therefore,  blame  your  mother  too  much,  when  you  consider 
that  the  same  feeling  was  the  cause  of  her  becoming  your 
mother." 

"  Far  from  it,  my  dear  mother,"  replied  I ;  "  only  let  us 
now  act  in  concert.  I  require  your  assistance.  Allow  me  to 
ask  you  one  question — Have  you  not  realised  a  sufficient  sum 
of  money  to  enable  you  to  retire  from  your  business  ?  " 

"  I  certainly  have,  my  dear  Percival,  much  more  than  is 
necessary  for  me  to  live  in  comfort,  and  I  may  say,  some 
little  luxury ;  but  I  have  thought  of  you,  and  for  your  sake, 
every  year  have  continued  to  add  to  my  profits." 

"  Then,  my  dear  mother,  for  my  sake  give  up  your  business 
as  soon  as  possible  ;  money  is  not  my  object." 

"Tell  me  what  your  reasons  are  for  this  demand." 

"  My  dear  mother,  I  will  be  candid  with  you.  I  wish  you 
to  retire  from  business,  and  leave  this  place  for  any  distant 
part  of  England ;  I  wish  you  to  change  your  name,  and,  in 
one  word,  I  wish  Captain  Delmar  should  believe  that  you 
are  dead." 

"And  why  so,  Percival?  I  cannot  see  how  that  will 
benefit  you ;  it  was  on  my  account  that  he  took  charge  of 
you.  You  are  not  sure  that  he  may  not  be  severed  from 
you,  and  who  knows  but  that  my  supposed  death  may 
occasion  him  to  desert  you  altogether?" 

"  You  assist  my  cause,  my  dear  mother,  by  what  you  say, 
if  it  is  on  your  account  that  Captain  Delmar  is  my  friend  ; 
and  if,  as  you  say,  he  might  desert  me  when  you  are  dead, 
or  supposed  to  be  so,  it  is  evident  that  his  motive  of  action 
must  be  fear.  You  have  the  secret  of  my  birth,  which  he 
supposes  to  be  known  only  to  you  and  to  him.  I  am  con- 

202 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

viiiced  that  if  you  were  supposed  dead,  and  that  the  secret 
was  his  own,  if  he  thought  that  there  was  no  proof  whatever 
against  him,  he  would  then  not  care  showing  towards  me 
that  regard  which  he  is  inclined  to  feel  as  a  father,  and 
which  is  now  checked  by  his  pride.  Captain  Delmar  is 
naturally  of  a  kind  and  affectionate  disposition — that  I  am 
sui-e  of.  Your  memory  would  do  more  for  me  than  your 
existence  ever  can,  and  as  for  the  rest,  leave  that  to  me. 
At  all  events,  if  he  should,  as  I  do  not  believe  he  will,  be 
inclined  to  throw  me  off,  I  have  still  his  written  acknowledg- 
ment that  I  am  his  son,  to  make  use  of  in  case  of  necessity. 
Now,  my  dear  mother,  you  must  consent  to  do  as  I  wish. 
Give  up  your  business  as  soon  as  possible,  and  retire  to 
another  part  of  the  country.  When  I  consider  it  a  proper 
time  to  do  so,  your  death  shall  be  made  known  to  him.  I 
have  no  doubt  that  he  will  be  afloat  again  in  a  few  months, 
and  when  we  are  out  of  England,  I  will  bide  the  proper  time." 

"  But  your  grandmother,  Percival — must  I  tell  her  ?  " 

"  No  ;  tell  her  only  that  you  intend  to  retire  from  business, 
and  go  away  from  Chatham ;  say  that  you  will  in  future 
reside  in  Devonshire,  and  ask  her  to  accompany  you.  Depend 
upon  it  she  will  be  pleased  with  your  intentions.  As  to  what 
we  arrange  relative  to  Captain  Delmar,  say  nothing  to  her 
- — she  hates  his  very  name,  and  is  not  likely  to  talk  about 
him." 

"  Well,  Percival,  you  will  allow  me  till  to-morrow  to  think 
about  it  before  I  give  a  decided  answer." 

"Certainly,  my  dear  mother;  I  wish  you  so  to  do,  as  I  am 
convinced  that  you  will  agree  with  me ;  and  I  infinitely 
prefer  that  you  should  decide  on  conviction,  than  be  induced 
by  maternal  regard." 

As  I  was  well  assured,  my  mother's  decision  was  favourable 
to  my  wishes.  She  consulted  with  my  grandmother,  who 
approved  of  her  intentions ;  and  then  it  was  made  public 
that  Mrs.  Keene  intended  to  retire  from  business,  and  that 
the  goodwill  was  to  be  disposed  of  along  with  the  stock. 
My  aunt  Milly  and  Captain  Bridgeman  appeared  well  con- 
tent that  my  mother  should  take  the  step  which  she  pro- 
posed. In  short,  all  the  family  approved  of  the  measure, 
which  is  not  a  very  usual  circumstance  in  this  world.  I  now 
employed  myself  in  assisting  my  mother  in  her  affairs.  In  a 

203 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

month  we  found  a  purchaser  for  the  stock  and  goodwill ;  and 
when  the  sum  paid  was  added  to  my  mother's  former  ac- 
cumulations, she  found  herself  possessed  of  £12,000  in  the 
Three  per  Cents.,  the  interest  of  which,  £360,  was  more  than 
sufficient  for  her  living  comfortably  in  Devonshire,  especially 
as  my  grandmother  had  still  remaining  an  income  very 
nearly  amounting  to  £200  per  annum. 

In  another  month  everything  was  arranged  ;  and  my 
mother  bade  farewell  to  her  sister  and  all  her  friends,  and 
left  Chatham,  after  having  resided  there  more  than  seventeen 
years. 

Long  before  my  mother  had  removed  from  Chatham,  I 
received  a  letter  from  young  Vangilt,  announcing  his  safe 
arrival  in  Amsterdam,  and  enclosing  an  order  to  receive  the 
money  advanced,  from  a  house  in  London.  His  letter  was 
very  grateful,  but,  as  I  had  cautioned  him,  not  one  word 
was  in  it  which  could  implicate  me  had  it  fallen  into  other 
hands. 

I  may  as  well  here  observe,  that,  in  the  hurry  of  paying  off 
the  ship,  Vangilt  was  never  missed ;  and  although  it  did 
occur  to  the  commanding  officer  after  he  had  gone  on  shore 
that  Mr.  Vangilt  had  not  been  sent  to  prison,  he  thought  it 
just  as  well  not  to  raise  a  question  which  might  get  himself 
into  a  scrape ;  in  short,  nothing  was  thought  or  said  about  it 
by  anybody. 

A  few  days  before  my  mother  quitted  Chatham  I  went  up 
to  London  to  receive  the  money,  and  then  went  to  Ports- 
mouth to  repay  the  portion  belonging  to  Bob  Cross.  I  found 
that  Bob  had  made  good  use  of  his  time,  and  that  the  old 
smuggler  now  received  him  as  a  suitor  to  his  niece. 

As,  however,  Mary  was  still  very  young — not  yet  seventeen 
— and  Bob  had  acknowledged  that  he  had  not  laid  by  much 
money  as  yet,  the  old  man  had  insisted  that  Bob  Cross  should 
get  another  ship,  and  try  a  voyage  or  two  more  before  he  was 
spliced ;  and  to  this  arrangement  both  the  mother  and  Mary 
persuaded  him  to  consent.  I  went  to  call  upon  them  with 
Bob,  and  did  all  I  could,  without  stating  what  was  not  true, 
to  give  the  old  man  a  favourable  opinion  of  Cross.  I  even 
went  so  far  as  to  say  that  if  he  could  not  procure  another 
vessel,  I  was  ready  to  put  down  a  sum  of  money  to  assist 
him.  And  so  I  was ;  and  had  it  been  requisite,  I  have  no 

204 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

doubt  but  that  my  mother  would  have  advanced  it ;  but  Bob, 
a  fine  seaman,  not  yet  thirty  years  old,  was  always  sure  of  a 
ship — that  is,  a  man-of-\var.  To  save  himself  from  impress- 
ment, Cross  had  dressed  himself  in  long  toggery  as  a  captain 
of  a  merchant  vessel,  and  was  believed  to  be  such. 

Having  satisfied  myself  that  everything  went  on  favourably 
in  that  quarter,  I  again  returned  to  Chatham,  that  I  might 
escort  my  mother  and  grandmother  into  Devonshire.  We 
bade  fareAvell  to  my  aunt  and  Captain  Bridgeman,  and  set  off 
for  London,  where  we  remained  a  few  days  at  an  hotel,  and 
then  took  the  day  coach  down  to  Ilfracombe,  where  my 
mother  had  decided  upon  taking  up  her  future  residence, 
changing  her  name  to  Ogilvie,  which  had  been  my  grand- 
mother's maiden  name. 

Ilfracombe  was  then  a  beautiful  retired  spot,  and  well 
suited  to  my  mother  from  its  cheapness :  with  their  joint 
incomes,  my  grandmother  and  she  could  command  anything 
they  wished.  We  soon  hired  a  very  pretty  little  cottage 
ornee,  ready  furnished,  as  my  mother  would  not  furnish  a 
house  until  she  had  ascertained  whether  there  were  no 
drawbacks  to  the  locality.  I  ought  to  observe,  that  my 
grandmother  now  appeared  quite  as  partial  to  me  as  she 
had  before  been  otherwise.  I  treated  her  with  great 
respect. 

Although  it  was  not  difficult  to  obtain  a  renewal  of  leave 
from  a  guard-ship,  after  I  had  remained  six  weeks  with  my 
mother,  it  was  necessary  that  I  should  make  my  appearance 
at  Portsmouth.  It  was  arranged  that  I  should  take  my  de- 
parture for  Portsmouth  in  three  days,  when,  on  reading  the 
Plymouth  newspaper,  I  learnt  that  the  newly  launched  frigate 
Manilla,  of  forty-four  guns,  was  put  in  commission,  and  that 
the  Honourable  Captain  Delmar  had  come  down  and  hoisted 
his  pennant.  This,  of  course,  changed  my  plans.  I  resolved 
to  set  off  for  Plymouth,  and  wait  upon  Captain  Delmar.  I 
wrote  to  Bob  Cross,  enclosing  an  order  for  my  chest  and 
bedding  on  board  of  the  guard-ship  at  Portsmouth,  acquaint- 
ing him  with  my  intention,  but  requesting  him  not  to  act 
until  he  heard  from  me  again. 

I  had  a  long  conversation  with  my  mother,  from  whom  I 
obtained  a  renewal  of  her  promise  to  abide  and  act  by  my 
instructions.  I  took  a  respectful  farewell  of  my  grandmother, 

205 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

who  gave  me  £100,  which  I  did  not  want,  as  my  mother 
had  given  me  a  similar  sum,  and  then  set  off  for  Plymouth. 

The  reader  may  perhaps  inquire  how  it  was  that  Captain 
Delmar — as  he  had  promised  to  pay  my  expenses — had  not 
made  any  offer  of  the  kind,  or  communicated  with  me  on  the 
subject  ?  But  the  fact  was,  that  he  knew  I  had  three  years' 
pay  due,  besides  the  prize-money  for  the  Dutch  frigate, 
which,  however,  I  had  not  yet  received,  although  it  was. 
payable.  In  pecuniary  matters  I  was  certainly  well  off,  as 
my  mother  desired  that  I  would  draw  for  any  money  that  I 
required,  feeling  convinced  that,  being  aware  of  her  circum- 
stances, I  should  not  distress  her  by  any  extravagances:  in 
that  she  did  me  justice. 

I  was  now  eighteen  years  old,  and  just  starting  again  on 
my  career.  As  I  grew  up,  my  likeness  to  Captain  Delmar 
became  more  remarkable  every  day.  My  mother  could  not 
help  observing  it  even  to  me.  "  I  almost  wish  that  it  was 
not  so,  my  dear  mother :  I  fear  it  will  be  the  cause  of  annoy- 
ance to  Captain  Delmar ;  but  it  cannot  be  helped.  At  all 
events,  it  must  satisfy  him,  allowing  that  he  has  any  doubt 
(which  I  am  sure  he  has  not),  that  I  am  his  own  child." 

"That  I  believe  to  be  quite  unnecessary,"  replied  my 
mother  with  a  deep  sigh. 

"  I  should  think  so  too,  my  dear  mother,"  replied  I,  caress- 
ing her  kindly.  "  At  all  events,  I  will  prove,  whether  I  ever 
obtain  it  or  not,  that  I  am  not  unworthy  of  the  name  of 
Delmar;  but  I  must  wait  no  longer — the  coach  is  about  to 
start.  Adieu,  and  may  God  bless  you." 

On  my  arrival  at  Plymouth — or  Plymouth  Dock,  as  Devon- 
port  was  then  called — I  inquired  at  which  hotel  Captain 
Delmar  had  taken  up  his  quarters.  It  was  the  one  to  which 
I  had  intended  to  have  gone  myself;  but  I  immediately  had 
my  luggage  taken  to  another,  for  I  really  believe  that 
Captain  Delmar  would  have  considered  it  a  great  liberty  for 
any  one  of  his  officers  to  presume  to  lie  down  in  the  same 
caravansary  as  himself.  The  next  morning  I  sent  up  my 
name,  and  was  admitted. 

"Good  morning,  Mr.  Keene,"  said  the  captain.  "I  pre- 
sume that  you  have  come  down  to  request  to  join  my  ship, 
and  I  therefore  consent  before  you  make  the  request.  I 
trust  you  will  always  show  the  same  zeal  and  deference  to 

206 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

your  officers  that  you  did  in  the  Calliope.  You  have  grown 
very  much,  and  are  now  a  young  man.  I  shall  give  you  the 
rating  of  mate,  and  I  trust  you  will  not  do  discredit  to  my 
patronage." 

"  I  trust  not,  Captain  Delmar/'  replied  I.  "  I  have  but 
one  wish  in  the  world,  which  is  to  please  you,  who  have  so 
befriended  me  from  my  boyhood.  I  should  be  very  un- 
grateful if  I  did  not  do  my  duty  with  zeal  and  fidelity ;  I  am 
indebted  to  you  for  everything,  and  I  am  aware  I  must  look 
to  you  for  every  future  prospect.  I  have  to  thank  you,  sir, 
for  your  great  kindness  in  publishing  my  name  in  the  public 
Gazette." 

"You  deserved  it,  Mr.  Keene,  and  it  certainly  will  be  of 
great  advantage  to  you  when  you  have  served  your  time. 
Has  your  time  gone  on  since  the  Calliope  was  paid  off?" 

"  Yes,  sir ;  I  am  still  on  the  books  of  the  Salvador." 

"  How  much  time  have  you  served  ?" 

"  Nearly  four  years  and  a  half,  sir." 

"Well,  the  rest  will  soon  be  over;  and  if  you  do  your 
duty,  my  patronage  shall  not  be  wanting." 

Here  there  was  a  bow  on  my  part,  and  a  pause,  and  I  was 
backing  out  with  another  bow,  when  the  captain  said,  "  How 
is  your  mother,  Mr.  Keene  ?  " 

"She  has  been  advised  to  retire  from  business,  and  to 
settle  in  the  country,"  replied  I  mournfully ;  "  her  health  is 

such,  that •"  Here  I  stopped,  as  I  preferred  deceiving 

him  by  implication,  or  rather  allowing  him  to  deceive  him- 
self. 

"I  am  sorry  to  hear  that,"  replied  he;  "but  she  never 
was  strong  as  a  young  woman."  Here  the  captain  stopped, 
as  if  he  had  said  too  much. 

"  No,  sir,"  replied  I ;  "  when  in  the  service  of  Mrs.  Delmar, 
she  could  not  be  put  to  anything  that  required  fatigue." 

"Very  true,"  replied  the  captain.  "You  may  go  on 
board,  Mr.  Keene,  and  desire  my  clerk  to  make  out  a  letter, 
requesting  your  discharge  from  the  Salvador  into  the  Manilla. 
Do  you  require  anything  ?  " 

"  No,  sir,  I  thank  you,  I  need  not  trespass  on  your 
generosity  just  now.  Good  morning,  sir." 

"  Good  morning,  Mr.  Keene." 

"I  beg  your  pardon,  Captain  Delmar,"  said  I,  as  I  held 

207 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

the  door  ajar;  "but,  should  you  like,  Robert  Cross,  your 
former  coxswain,  would  join  you  in  the  same  capacity.  I 
know  where  he  is." 

"Yes,  Mr.  Keene,  I  should  like  to  have  him:  he  was  a 
steady,  good  man.  You  will  oblige  me  by  writing  to  ^him, 
and  requesting  him  to  join  immediately.  Where  is  he  ?  " 

"  At  Portsmouth,  Captain  Delmar." 

"Very  well;  tell  him  to  come  round  as  fast  as  he  can. 
By-the-bye,  you  will  have  two  of  your  old  messmates — Mr. 
Smith,  the  master,  and  Mr.  Dott.  I  hope  the  latter  is  a 
little  more  steady  than  he  was.  I  was  in  hopes  to  have  had 
your  old  acquaintance  Mr.  Culpepper  with  us ;  but  he  died 
about  six  weeks  back — a  fit,  or  something  of  that  kind." 

"  Thank  Heaven  for  that,"  thought  I.  Again  I  made  my 
most  respectful  bow,  and  quitted  the  room. 

I  returned  to  my  own  hotel,  and  sitting  down,  I  began  to 
reflect  upon  my  interview.  I  recalled  all  that  had  passed, 
and  I  made  up  my  mind  that  I  was  right  in  preparing  him 
for  the  report  of  my  mother's  death.  His  reception  of  me 
was  all  that  I  could  have  expected  from  him — it  was  cordial ; 
but  my  blood  boiled  when  I  called  to  mind  that  he  had  only 
made  a  casual  inquiry  after  my  mother,  as  I  was  leaving  the 
room ;  and  then  his  checking  himself  because  he  had  in- 
adverently  said  that  she  was  not  sti-ong  when  she  was  a 
young  woman.  "Yes,"  thought  I,  "he  cannot  bear  the 
remembrance  of  the  connection ;  and  it  is  only  for  myself, 
and  not  from  any  natural  affection  of  a  parent,  that  he  cares 
for  me ;  or  if  he  does  care  for  me  as  his  son,  it  is  because  I 
have  his  blood  in  my  veins ;  and  he  despises  and  looks  down 
upon  the  mother.  I  am  sure  that  he  will  be  anything  but 
sorry  to  hear  that  my  mother  is  dead,  and  he  shall  be  grati- 
fied. I  will  now  write  to  her." 

I  could  not  help  observing  that  there  was  some  change 
in  the  appearance  of  Captain  Delmar.  Strange  to  say,  he 
looked  more  youthful ;  and  as  I  compared  our  two  faces  in 
the  mirror  on  the  mantelpiece  behind  him,  when  I  stood 
up,  he  appeared  more  like  me  in  appearance  than  ever. 
What  was  it  ?  «  Oh  ! "  thought  I,  "  I  have  it.  His  hair  is 
no  longer  mixed  with  grey,  lie  must  wear  a  wig."  This  was 
the  fact,  as  I  afterwards  ascertained ;  the  colour  of  his  wig 
was,  however,  much  darker  than  my  own  hair. 

206 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

By  the  same  post  I  wrote  to  Bob  Cross,  acquainting  him 
with  what  had  passed,  and  begging  him  to  come  round  by 
the  first  water  conveyance,  and  bring  my  chest  and  bedding 
with  him.  I  then  walked  down  the  dockyard  to  have  a 
look  at  the  Manilla,  which  was,  as  I  had  heard,  a  splendid 
vessel ;  went  up  again  to  order  a  mate's  uniform,  and  re- 
turned to  the  hotel.  It  was  useless  going  to  the  ship  at  that 
time,  as  the  marines  and  boys  had  only  been  drafted  into  her 
that  morning;  and  there  was  nothing  to  do  until  she  was 
clear  of  the  shipwrights,  who  were  still  on"  board  of  her,  and 
employed  in  every  part  of  her.  The  first  lieutenant  had  not 
yet  come  down.  The  master  was  the  only  officer  who  had 
joined,  and  he  had  hoisted  the  pennant.  I  was  delighted  to 
find  that  he  was  to  sail  with  us ;  and  we  passed  that  evening 
together. 

During  the  evening  the  master  said,  "I  hear  there  are 
plenty  of  good  men  stowed  away  by  the  crimps  at  different 
places.  I  wish  we  could  only  find  out  where  they  are,  and 
get  hold  of  them.  I  fear,  if  we  do  not,  we  shall  either  be 
badly  manned  in  haste  from  the  Tower  tender,  or  have  to  wait 
a  long  while  before  we  sail.  Now,  Keene,  don't  you  think 
you  could  manage  so  as  to  get  us  some  men  ?  " 

"  I've  got  one  already/'  replied  I — "  Bob  Cross,  the  captain's 
coxswain." 

"  And  a  real  good  one,  too,"  replied  the  master ;  "  the  best 
helmsman  we  had  in  the  Calliope.  You  and  he  were  very 
thick  together." 

"Yes,"  replied  I;  "when  I  came  on  board,  a  mere  lad, 
he  was  very  kind  to  me,  and  I  am  very  partial  to  him  in 
consequence." 

That  night,  after  the  master  and  I  had  parted,  I  thought 
over  the  question  he  had  put  to  me,  as  to  obtaining  good 
seamen  for  the  ship,  and  I  made  up  my  mind  that  I  would 
wait  till  Cross  arrived,  and  consult  with  him  as  to  a  project 
which  I  had  in  my  head.  In  the  meantime  I  went  to  a  slop- 
shop by  the  dockyard  wall,  and  provided  myself  with  a 
common  sailor's  toggery,  of  the  real  cut,  with  a  banyan 
covered  hat,  and  all  complete.  Three  days  afterwards  Cross 
joined  me,  having  found  a  passage  round  in  a  cutter;  and  as 
soon  as  I  had  talked  over  his  affairs,  I  proposed  my  plan  to 
him,  in  which  he  heartily  coincided, 

209  o 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

That  I  did  this  to  please  the  captain  is  certain ;  I  had  no 
other  view.  It  was  necessary,  however,  that  I  obtain  the 
captain's  permission,  and  I  went  to  him  and  explained  my 
ideas.  The  captain  was  too  willing  to  let  me  try  it,  and 
thanked  me  for  my  zeal. 

"  Go  on  board,  Mr.  Keene,  and  tell  them  I  have  given  you 
six  weeks'  leave  of  absence,  and  then  you  can  do  as  you 
propose." 

I  did  so,  for  it  was  absolutely  necessary  that  as  few  as 
possible  should  be  acquainted  with  what  I  was  about,  as  I  ran 
a  great  risk.  I  have  no  hesitation  in  saying  that  I  should 
have  been  made  away  with  by  the  crimps,  had  they  dis- 
covered me. 

I  dressed  myself  as  a  common  seaman,  darkened  my  face, 
and  dirtied  myself  a  little,  especially  on  the  hands,  and  Bob 
Cross  and  I  then  went  at  night  into  one  of  the  low  public 
houses,  with  which  the  town  is  filled ;  there  we  pretended  to 
be  much  alarmed  lest  we  should  be  pressed,  and  asked  for  a 
back-room  to  smoke  and  drink  in.  We  called  in  the  landlord, 
telling  him  we  were  second  mates  of  vessels,  and  not  secure 
from  the  impress ;  that  we  never  were  at  Plymouth  before, 
our  ships  having  put  in  damaged,  and  that  the  crew  were  dis- 
charged ;  and  asked  if  there  was  no  safe  place  where  we  could 
be  stowed  until  we  could  find  another  vessel  ready  to  start. 

He  replied,  that  there  was  a  house  at  Stonehouse  where 
we  could  be  quite  safe ;  but  that,  of  course,  we  must  pay  the 
crimps  well  for  our  board  and  lodging,  and  that  they  would 
find  us  a  ship  when  we  wished  to  go ;  and  further,  that  we 
must  give  him  something  handsome  for  taking  us  there.  To 
this  we  agreed,  and  at  midnight  we  set  off  in  company  with 
our  landlord,  each  of  us  carrying  our  bundles,  and  in  less 
than  an  hour  arrived  at  a  sort  of  farmhouse  detached  from 
the  road. 

After  a  short  parley  we  obtained  entrance,  and  were  taken 
into  a  small  room,  where  the  crimp  inquired  of  us  what  money 
we  had,  and  then  told  us  what  his  charges  were.  The  reason 
of  his  doing  this  was,  because  if  we  had  no  money,  or  very 
little,  he  would  have  disposed  of  us  very  soon  by  sending  us 
on  board  of  some  ship,  and  obtaining  an  advance  of  our  wages 
from  the  captain  as  his  indemnification ;  but  if  we  had  plenty 
of  money,  he  would  then  keep  us  as  long  as  he  could,  that 

210 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

he  might  make  his  profit  of  us.  His  charges  were  monstrous, 
as  may  be  supposed,  and  we  had  replied  that  we  had  veiy 
little  money.  We  contrived  to  look  as  careless  and  indifferent 
as  we  could,  agreed  to  everything,  paid  the  landlord  of  the 
pot-house  a  guinea  each  for  taking  us  to  the  house,  and  were 
then  ushered  into  a  large  room,  where  we  found  about  twenty 
seamen  sitting  at  a  long  table,  drinking,  and  playing  cards  and 
dominoes. 

They  did  not  appear  to  notice  us,  they  were  so  busy  either 
playing  or  looking  on.  Cross  called  for  a  pot  of  ale,  and  we 
sat  down  at  the  farther  end  of  the  table. 

"  What  a  dislike  the  men  must  have  to  the  press,"  said 
Cross  to  me,  "when  they  submit  to  be  mured  up  here  in 
prison." 

"Yes,  and  cheated  by  such  a  scoundrel  as  the  crimp 
appears  to  be." 

"Don't  talk  so  loud,  Jack,"  replied  Cross — for  I  had 
insisted  upon  his  calling  me  Jack — "  lest  we  should  be  over- 
heard." 

We  then  asked  to  go  to  bed,  and  were  shown  by  the  crimp 
into  a  room,  which  had  about  fourteen  beds  in  it. 

"  You  may  take  your  choice  of  those  five,"  said  he,  pointing 
to  five  nearest  the  door ;  "  I  always  come  up  and  take  away 
the  candle." 

As  we  found  some  of  the  other  beds  occupied,  we  did  not 
resume  our  conversation,  but  went  to  sleep. 

The  next  morning  we  found  that  we  mustered  about  thirty- 
five,  many  of  the  more  steady  men  having  gone  to  bed  before 
we  arrived.  After  breakfast,  Cross  and  I  each  entered  into 
conversation  with  a  man,  and  pumped  them  very  cleverly. 
Our  chief  object  was,  to  ascertain  the  houses  of  the  other 
crimps,  and,  as  the  men  knew  most  of  them,  having  invariably 
resorted  to  them  at  the  end  of  their  voyages,  we  obtained 
the  locality  of  five  or  six,  all  apparently  public-houses,  but 
having  back  premises  for  the  concealment  of  seamen :  all 
these  were  carefully  noted  down. 

As  we  became  more  intimate,  the  seamen,  who  were  glad 
to  talk,  from  weariness  of  confinement,  asked  us  many  ques- 
tions. We  said  that  we  had  deserted  from  a  man-of-war,  and 
then  a  hundred  questions  were  asked  us  as  to  our  treatment. 
I  allowed  Bob  Cross  to  be  spokesman,  and  his  replies  were 

211 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

very  sensible.  He  told  them  that  all  depended  upon  what 
sort  of  captains  and  first  lieutenants  were  on  board ;  that  he 
had  been  pressed  twice  :  the  first  time  he  was  comfortable 
enough,  and  made  £200  prize-money  in  eight  months ;  but 
in  the  last  man-of-war  he  was  very  uncomfortable,  and  had 
therefore  cut  and  run.  Altogether,  he  made  the  service 
appear  much  more  favourable  than  they  supposed,  although 
the  crimp,  who  had  stood  by,  did  all  he  could  to  persuade  the 
men  to  the  contrary 

We  remained  in  this  house  for  more  than  a  week,  and  then 
declared  that  we  had  no  more  money,  and  must  find  a  ship. 
The  crimp  said  that  he  had  a  berth  for  one  of  us  as  second 
mate  of  a  brig,  and  I  agreed  to  take  it,  leaving  Bob  Cross  to 
get  a  berth  for  himself  as  soon  as  he  could.  As  I  paid  up, 
there  was  no  demand  upon  the  owners  of  the  vessel,  and  it 
was  arranged  that  I  should  be  down  at  a  certain  wharf  at 
three  o'clock  in  the  morning,  when  I  should  find  a  boat  wait- 
ing for  me.  I  waited  up  with  Bob  Cross  until  the  clock  had 
struck  two,  and  then  the  crimp  let  me  out.  He  did  not 
offer  to  go  down  with  me,  as  he  had  no  money  to  receive ; 
and,  as  it  was  pitch-dark,  there  was  little  chance  of  my  being 
picked  up  by  a  press-gang  at  that  hour.  I  wished  Cross 
good-bye,  and  set  off  for  Plymouth  Dock  with  my  bundle  on 
my  stick. 

Not  knowing  where  to  go  at  such  an  hour,  I  walked  about 
to  see  if  I  could  perceive  a  light  in  any  house.  I  did  so  at  last 
through  the  chinks  of  the  shutters  of  a  small  alehouse,  and 
tapped  at  the  door :  it  was  opened,  I  was  ushered  in,  and  the 
door  closed  immediately  upon  me.  I  found  myself  in  the 
presence  of  several  marines  with  their  side-arms,  and  seamen 
with  cutlasses.  An  officer  started  up  from  his  seat,  and 
collaring  me,  said,  «  You're  just  the  fellow  we  want.  We're 
in  luck  to-night."  In  fact,  I  was  in  the  hands  of  a  press- 
gang,  and  I  was  pressed  myself. 

"  Yes,  he'll  do ;  he'll  make  a  capital  maintop-man,"  said  a 
midshipman,  getting  up  and  surveying  me. 

I  looked  at  him,  and  perceived  my  old  acquaintance  Mr. 
Tommy  Dott,  grown  a  great  deal  taller ;  I  perceived  that  he 
did  not  recognise  me.  "  But,  sir,"  said  I  to  the  officer  of  the 
party,  who  was  so  disguised  that  I  could  not  tell  his  rank, 
"  suppose  I  belong  to  a  man-of-war  already  ?  " 

212 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

"That  you  do  not;  or  if  you  do,  you  must  be  a  deserter, 
my  good  fellow — that  is  evident  by  your  stick  and  bundle. 
Now  sit  down  and  drink  some  beer,  if  you  like  ;  you  are 
going  to  serve  in  a  fine  frigate — you  may  as  well  make  yourself 
comfortable,  for  we  shall  not  go  on  board  yet,  for  this  hour." 

I  determined  to  keep  up  my  incog.,  as  it  amused  me.  I 
::at  down,  and  it  then  occurred  to  me  that  my  not  going  on 
board  of  the  vessel  might  lead  to  an  explanation  with  the 
crimp,  and  that  an  alarm  might  be  created  and  the  men 
dispersed  in  consequence.  There  were  still  two  hours  to 
daylight,  and  if  I  could  take  up  the  press-gang,  we  might 
secure  all  the  men  in  the  house  before  the  dawn  of  day. 

As  I  had  just  made  up  my  mind  to  act,  there  was  a 
stamping  of  feet  outside  and  a  knock  at  the  door.  When 
it  was  opened,  another  portion  of  the  press-gang,  headed  by 
another  officer,  entered.  I  counted  heads,  and  found  that 
they  mustered  thirty  hands — quite  sufficient,  as  they  were 
armed,  to  secure  all  my  late  companions.  I  therefore  went 
up  to  the  officer,  and  begged  to  speak  with  him  aside. 

I  then  told  him  that  I  had  just  come  from  a  crimp's  house 
near  Stonehouse,  where  I  left  in  their  beds  thirty-five  as  fine 
men  as  ever  walked  a  plank,  and  that,  as  I  was  pressed 
myself,  I  did  not  mind  telling  him  where  they  were,  and  he 
could  take  them  all. 

The  officer  curled  up  his  lip,  as  if  to  say,  "  You're  a  pretty 
scoundrel  to  betray  your  companions,"  but  immediately 
resolved  to  act  upon  it.  Without  stating  his  intentions,  he 
ordered  all  the  men  out,  and  putting  me  between  two 
marines,  so  as  to  prevent  my  escaping,  I  was  desired  to  lead 
on.  I  did  so,  and  we  proceeded  in  silence  until  we  arrived 
near  to  the  house.  I  then  pointed  out  to  the  officer  that 
it  must  be  surrounded,  or  the  men  would  escape,  and  that 
it  must  be  done  very  carefully,  as  there  was  a  large  dog, 
which  would  be  sure  to  give  the  alarm.  My  advice  was 
attended  to,  and  when  all  the  men  were  at  their  stations, 
the  whole  advanced  slowly  towards  the  house.  The  dog 
commenced  baying,  as  I  had  foreseen,  and  shortly  afterwards 
the  crimp  put  his  head  out  of  a  window,  and  perceived  that 
the  press-gang  were  below.  But  all  attempts  to  force  an 
entrance  were  in  vain,  every  window  below,  and  the  doors, 
being  secured  with  iron  bars. 

213 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

"Is  there  no  way  of  getting  into  this  den?"  said  the 
officer  to  me. 

"  Why,  sir,  I'll  try." 

As  Bob  Cross  had  given  another  name,  I  knew  that  1 
risked  nothing  in  calling  out  his,  and  I  therefore  requested 
the  officer  to  impose  silence,  and  when  it  was  obtained,  I 
cried  out,  "  Bob  Cross  !  Bob  Cross  !  Where's  Bob  Cross  ?  " 

After  that,  I  went  to  the  small  door  at  the  side  of  the 
house,  which  led  to  the  homestead,  and  again  cried  out, 
"  Bob  Cross ! — where's  Bob  Cross  ?  " 

I  then  told  the  officer  that  we  must  wait  patiently,  and 
that  if  it  was  daylight  before  we  got  in,  all  the  better. 

About  ten  minutes  after  that,  as  I  remained  at  the  small 
door,  I  heard  the  bars  quietly  removed;  I  then  requested 
the  officer  to  attempt  to  force  the  small  door,  and  it  yielded 
almost  immediately  to  their  efforts. 

"  Now,  sir,  leave  a  guard  at  the  other  door,  that  they  may 
not  open  it  and  escape  by  it,  also  five  or  six  hands  to  catch 
any  who  may  jump  out  of  the  upper  windows,  and  then  enter 
with  the  rest  of  your  party." 

"You  know  what  you  are  about,  at  all  events,"  said  he, 
giving  the  directions  which  I  had  pointed  out,  and  then 
entering  with  the  remainder  of  his  party,  with  the  exception 
of  one  marine  that  held  me  by  the  arm,  with  his  bayonet 
drawn. 

The  scuffle  within  was  very  severe,  and  lasted  for  many 
minutes ;  at  last,  the  armed  force,  although  not  so  numerous, 
prevailed,  and  one  by  one  the  men  were  brought  out,  and 
taken  charge  of  by  the  marines,  until  the  whole  of  them  were 
discovered  in  their  retreats,  and  secured. 

Day  now  dawned,  and  it  was  time  to  be  off.  To  make 
more  secure,  the  pressed  men  were  lashed  two  and  two,  with 
small  rope,  which  had  been  provided  on  purpose.  Bob  Cross, 
who,  of  course,  had  not  mixed  in  the  affray,  gave  me  a  nod 
of  recognition,  and  we  set  off  as  fast  as  the  men  could  be 
persuaded  to  move ;  certainly  not  a  very  gay  procession,  for 
although  the  wounds  were  not  dangerous,  there  was  scarcely 
one  of  the  party,  amounting  in  all  to  upwards  of  sixty  men, 
who  was  not  bleeding.  Hardly  a  word  was  exchanged.  We 
were  all  put  into  the  boats,  and  rowed  off  to  the  hulk  appro- 
priated to  the  crew  of  the  frigate  until  she  was  rigged,  and 

214 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

as  soon  as  we  were  on  board  we  were  put  below  under  the 
charge  of  sentries. 

"  What !  you  here  ?  "  said  some  of  the  pressed  men. 

"  Yes,"  replied  I ;  "  they  picked  me  up  as  I  went  to  ship 
myself  last  night."  The  crimp,  who  had  been  brought  on 
board  with  the  others,  then  started  forward.  "  It  is  he  who 
has  blown  upon  us  ;  I'll  swear  to  it." 

"You  may  swear  if  you  please,"  replied  I,  "that  will  do 
you  no  good,  and  me  no  harm." 

The  crimp  talked  with  the  other  men,  and  then  indignation 
was  levelled  against  me.  Most  of  them  swore  they  would  be 
even  with  me,  and  have  my  life  if  they  could ;  indeed,  they 
could  hardly  be  prevented  laying  hands  upon  me.  But  Bob 
Cross  told  the  sentry,  and  he  interfered  with  his  bayonet ; 
notwithstanding  which,  fists  continued  to  be  shook  in  my 
face,  and  vengeance  threatened  every  minute. 

"  I  told  you,  my  lads,"  said  Bob  Cross,  "  that  I  have  been 
on  board  of  a  man-of-war  before  this,  and  you'd  better  mind 
what  you're  about,  or  you'll  repent  it ;  at  all  events,  if  one  of 
you  touches  him,  you'll  have  five  dozen  lashes  at  the  gangway 
before  to-morrow  morning." 

This  made  the  poor  fellows  more  quiet ;  most  of  them  lay 
down,  and  tried  to  sleep  off  their  misery. 

"Why  don't  you  make  yourself  known,  Mr.  Keene  ?  "  said 
Cross  to  me,  in  a  whisper ;  "  I  saw  the  master  go  on  the 
quarter-deck  just  now." 

"  I  think  I  had  better  not ;  there  are  more  houses  to 
examine,  and  if  my  trick  was  known,  it  would  soon  get  wind 
from  the  women,  and  I  should  be  waylaid,  and  perhaps 
murdered  by  the  crimps.  The  captain  will  be  on  board  by 
ten  o'clock,  I  have  no  doubt,  and  then  I  will  contrive  to  see 
him,  somehow  or  another." 

"  But  you  could  trust  the  master — why  not  see  him  ?  " 

"I'll  think  of  it — but  there's  no  hurry." 

I  Avas  afraid  that  Tommy  Dott  would  have  discovered  me, 
and  I  kept  out  of  his  way  as  much  as  I  could. 

"  I'll  tell  you  what,  sir — as  I've  not  joined  the  ship,  why 
not  let  it  be  supposed  that  I  am  impressed  with  the  other 
men,  and  then  I  can  send  for  Mr.  Dott  and  make  myself 
known  ?  The  commanding  officer  will,  of  course,  send  for 
me,  and  I  will  enter,  and  then  I  shall  be  allowed  to  go 

215 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

about,  and  can  speak  to  the   captain  when  he  comes  on 
board."  n 

"  Well,  that  is  not  a  bad  idea.     Talk  to  the  sentry. 

"  Who's  the  captain  of  this  ship,  sentry  ?  "  said  Bob  Cross. 

"  Captain  Delmar." 

"Delmar! — why,  he's  my  old  captain.  Did  not  I  see  a 
Mr.  Dott,  a  midshipman  ?  " 

"  Yes,  there  is  a  Mr.  Dott  on  board." 

"Well,  I  wish  you  would  just  pass  the  word  to  Mr.  Dott, 
to  say  that  one  of  the  pressed  men  wishes  to  speak  to  him." 

The  sentry  did  so,  and  Mr.  Dott  came  down. 

"  How  d'ye  do,  Mr.  Dott  ?  "  said  Bob  Cross,  while  I  turned 
away. 

"  What,  Cross,  is  that  you  ?     Are  you  pressed  ?  " 

"Yes,  sir,  can't  be  helped.  I'm  glad  I'm  to  sail  with  you, 
sir.  What's  become  of  Mr.  Keene  ?  " 

"  Oh,  I  don't  know ;  but  if  he's  not  hanged  by  this  time, 
I  believe  that  he's  to  join  the  ship." 

Won't  I  pull  your  ears  for  that  ?  thought  I. 

"  What  other  officers  have  we  of  the  Calliope,  sir  ?  " 

"  There's  the  master,  Mr.  Smith,  and  the  surgeon." 

"  Well,  Mr.  Dott,  one  must  always  make  a  virtue  of  neces- 
sity. Tell  Mr.  Smith  that  I  shall  enter  for  the  ship ;  and 
I'll  put  my  name  down  at  once,  instead  of  being  penned 
up  here." 

"That's  right,  Cross;  and  I  say,  you  chaps,  you'd  better 
follow  a  good  example.  Sentry,  let  this  man  go  with  me." 

Bob  Cross  then  went  with  Tommy  Dott,  and  entered  for 
the  service.  The  master  was  very  glad  to  see  him  again,  and 
said,  "Why,  Cross,  Mr.  Keene  said  that  you  had  promised 
him  to  join  us." 

"  Why,  sir,  so  I  had  ;  but  it's  a  long  story.  However,  it's 
all  the  same  in  the  end :  here  I  am,  and  I  hope  I  shall  get 
my  old  rating." 

Soon  after,  Bob  Cross  came  down  and  said,  "Well,  my 
lads,  I'm  free  now,  and  I  advise  you  all  to  do  the  same. 
Come,  Jack,"  said  he  to  me,  "what  d'ye  say  ?" 

"  No,  no,"  replied  I.     "  I  won't  unless  all  the  rest  do." 

Bob  then  took  me  on  one  side,  and  told  me  what  had 
taken  place,  and  asked  me  what  he  should  say  to  the  captain. 
I  told  him,  and  then  he  left  us. 

216 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

At  ten  o'clock  the  captain  came  on  board.  Bob  Cross 
went  up  to  him,  and  said  he  wished  to  say  something  to  him 
in  the  cabin.  He  followed  the  captain  down,  and  then  ex- 
plained to  him  that  I  was  among  the  pressed  men ;  but  as  I 
had  means  of  obtaining  plenty  more  men,  I  had  remained 
among  them,  and  had  not  made  myself  known,  for  fear  my 
trick  should  get  wind ;  also  that  I  thought  the  crimp  should 
be  kept  on  board,  although  he  was  of  no  use  as  a  seaman. 

"  Mr.  Keene  has  behaved  very  prudently,"  replied  Captain 
Delmar.  "  I  understand  his  motives — leave  the  rest  to  me." 

A  few  minutes  after  Bob  had  communicated  to  me  what 
the  captain  had  said,  the  pressed  men  were  ordered  up,  and 
ranged  along  the  quarter-deck.  A  finer  set  of  men  I  never 
saw  together ;  and  they  all  appeared  to  be,  as  they  afterwards 
proved  to  be,  prime  seamen.  The  captain  called  them  one 
by  one,  and  questioned  them.  He  asked  them  to  enter,  but 
they  refused.  The  crimp  begged  hard  to  be  released.  Their 
names  were  all  put  down  on  the  ship's  book  together. 

The  captain,  turning  to  me — for  I  had  stood  up  the  last 
of  the  row — said,  "  I  understand  the  officer  of  the  impress 
agreed  to  release  you  if  you  would  tell  him  where  your 
comrades  were.  I  don't  like  losing  a  good  man,  but  still  I 
shall  let  you  go  in  consequence  of  the  promise  being  made. 
There,  you  may  take  a  boat  and  go  on  shore." 

"  Thank  your  honour,"  replied  I.  I  went  to  the  gangway 
immediately  ;  but  I  never  shall  forget  the  faces  of  the  pressed 
men  when  I  passed  them  :  they  looked  as  if  I  had  a  thou- 
sand lives,  they  had  stomach  enough  to  take  them  all. 

I  went  on  shore  immediately,  and  going  to  my  hotel, 
washed  the  colour  and  dirt  off  my  face,  dressed  myself  in 
my  mate's  uniform,  and  went  to  the  hotel  where  the  captain 
lived.  I  found  that  he  had  just  come  on  shore,  and  I  sent 
up  my  name,  and  I  was  admitted.  I  then  told  the  captain 
the  information  which  we  had  received  with  regard  to  nine 
or  ten  more  houses,  and  that  I  thought  I  might  now  go  on 
board,  and  never  be  recognised. 

"You  have  managed  extremely  well,"  replied  Captain 
Delmar;  "we  have  made  a  glorious  haul.  But  I  think  it 
will  be  better  that  you  do  not  go  on  board ;  the  press-gang 
shall  meet  you  every  night,  and  obey  your  orders."  I  bowed, 
and  walked  out  of  the  room. 

217 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

The  next  night  and  several  subsequent  ones,  the  press-gang 
came  on  shore,  and,  from  the  information  I  had  received,  we 
procured  in  the  course  of  a  fortnight  more  than  two  hundred 
good  seamen.  Some  of  the  defences  were  most  desperate ; 
for,  as  one  crimp's  house  after  another  was  forced,  they  could 
not  imagine  how  they  could  have  been  discovered.  But  it 
put  them  all  on  their  guard ;  and  on  the  last  three  occasions 
the  merchant  seamen  were  armed,  and  gave  us  obstinate 
fights.  However,  although  the  wounds  were  occasionally 
severe,  there  was  no  loss  of  life. 

Having  expended  all  my  knowledge,  I  had  nothing  more 
to  do  than  go  on  board,  which  I  did,  and  was  kindly  received 
by  the  master  and  the  other  officers,  who  had  been  prepos- 
sessed in  my  favour.  Such  was  the  successful  result  of  my 
plan.  The  crimp  we  did  not  allow  to  go  on  shore,  but  dis- 
charged him  into  a  gun-brig,  the  captain  of  which  was  a 
notorious  martinet ;  and  I  have  no  doubt,  being  aware  of  his 
character  and  occupation,  that  he  kept  his  word  when  he 
told  Captain  Delmar  that  he  would  make  the  ship  a  hell  to 
him.  "And  sarve  him  right  too,"  said  Bob  Cross,  when  he 
heard  of  it ;  "  the  money  that  these  rascals  obtain  from  the 
seamen,  Mr.  Keene,  is  quite  terrible ;  and  the  poor  fellows, 
after  having  earned  it  by  two  or  three  years'  hard  work,  go  to 
prison  in  a  crimp-house  to  spend  it,  or  rather  to  be  swindled 
out  of  it.  It  is  these  fellows  that  raise  such  reports  against 
the  English  navy,  that  frighten  the  poor  fellows  so;  they 
hear  of  men  being  flogged  until  they  die  under  the  lash,  and 
all  the  lies  that  can  be  invented.  Not  that  the  masters  of 
the  merchant  vessels  are  at  all  backward  in  disparaging  the 
service,  but  threaten  to  send  a  man  on  board  a  man-of-war 
for  a  punishment,  if  he  behaves  ill— that  itself  is  enough  to 
raise  a  prejudice  against  the  service.  Now,  sir,  I  can  safely 
swear  that  there  is  more  cruelty  and  oppression — more  ill- 
treatment  and  more  hard  work — on  board  of  a  merchantman 
than  on  board  any  man-of-war.  Why  so  ?  Because  there  is 
no  control  over  the  master  of  a  merchant  vessel,  while  the 
captain  of  a  man-of-war  is  bound  down  by  strict  regulations, 
which  he  dare  not  disobey.  We  see  many  reports  in  the 
newspapers  of  the  ill-treatment  on  board  of  merchant  vessels ; 
but  for  one  that  is  made  known,  ninety-nine  are  passed  over, 
for  a  seaman  has  something  else  to  do  than  to  be  kicking  his 

218 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

heels  at  a  magistrate's  office,  and  when  he  gets  clear  of 
his  vessel,  with  his  pay  in  his  pocket,  he  prefers  to  make 
merry  and  forget  his  treatment,  to  seeking  revenge.  I  say 
again,  sarve  that  crimp  right,  and  I  hope  that  he'll  get  a 
lash  for  every  pound  which  he  has  robbed  from  the  poor 
seamen." 

I  may  as  well  inform  the  reader  that,  as  it  is  mostly  the 
case  after  the  men  have  been  impressed,  nearly  the  whole  of 
them  entered  the  service ;  and  when,  some  time  afterwards, 
they  ascertained  that  it  was  I  that  had  tricked  them,  so  far 
from  feeling  the  ill-will  towards  me  that  they  had  on  their 
first  coming  on  board,  they  laughed  very  much  at  my  success- 
ful plan,  and  were  more  partial  to  me  than  to  any  other  of 
the  officers. 

Our  frigate  was  now  well  manned,  and  nearly  ready  for 
sea.  I  wrote  to  my  mother,  enclosing  the  heads  of  a  letter  to 
her  which  she  should  send  to  Captain  Delmar,  and  in  a  day 
or  two  I  received  an  answer,  with  a  copy  of  what  she  had 
sent.  It  was  to  the  effect  that  I  was  now  going  away  for  the 
second  time,  and  that  it  was  possible  she  might  never  see  me 
or  Captain  Delmar  again ;  that  she  wished  him  success  and 
happiness,  and  begged  him,  in  case  she  should  be  called 
away,  not  to  forget  his  promises  to  her,  or  what  she  had 
undergone  for  his  sake ;  but  she  trusted  entirely  to  him, 
and  that  he  would  watch  over  me  and  my  interests,  even 
more  out  of  regard  to  her  memory,  than  if  she  were  alive  to 
support  my  claims  upon  him. 

The  letter  was  given  to  Captain  Delmar  when  he  was  on 
the  quarter-deck,  and  he  went  with  it  down  below.  He 
came  on  deck  shortly  afterwards.  I  looked  at  him,  but 
did  not  perceive  that  he  was  in  any  way  put  out  or  moved 
by  its  reception.  Claims  for  past  services,  whether  upon  the 
country  or  upon  individuals,  are  seldom  well  received ;  like 
the  payment  of  a  tavern  bill,  after  we  have  done  with  the 
enjoyments,  we  seem  inclined  to  cavil  at  each  separate  item — 
ainsi  va  le  monde. 

It  was  reported  down  at  Mutton  Cove,  that  our  ship, 
which  sailed  with  sealed  orders,  was  to  be  sent  to  the 
West  Indies.  This  the  captain  did  not  expect  or  wish,  as 
he  had  had  enough  of  the  tropics  already.  When  he, 
however,  opened  his  orders,  it  was  found  that  Mutton  Cove 

219 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

was  correct,  and  the  captain's  instructions  were,  to  seek  the 
admiral  of  the  station  with  all  possible  despatch. 

We  carried  sail  day  and  night,  and  as  the  Manilla  proved 
a  remarkably  fast  sailer,  we  were  very  soon  in  Carlisle  Bay, 
Barbadoes,  where  we  found  the  admiral  and  six  sail  of  the 
line,  and  a  few  smaller  vessels.  As  soon  as  the  despatches 
were  opened  by  the  admiral,  our  signal,  as  well  as  that  of 
all  the  smaller  vessels,  was  made,  and  before  the  evening 
we  had  spread  our  canvas  in  every  direction,  being  sent  to 
recall  the  whole  of  the  disposable  force  to  rendezvous  at 
Carlisle  Bay.  We  knew  that  something  was  in  the  wind, 
but  what,  we  had  no  idea  of.  Our  orders  were  to  proceed 
to  Halifax,  and  we  had  a  quick  passage.  We  found  two 
frigates  there,  and  we  gave  them  their  instructions,  and  then, 
having  remained  only  twenty-four  hours,  we  all  made  sail 
together  for  Barbadoes. 

On  our  arrival  there,  we  found  the  bay  crowded  with 
vessels :  twenty-eight  sail  of  pennants  and  a  fleet  of  trans- 
ports, containing  ten  thousand  troops.  Three  days  after- 
wards the  signal  was  made  to  weigh,  and  the  whole  fleet 
stood  out  from  Carlisle  Bay,  it  being  now  well  known  that 
the  capture  of  the  island  of  Martinique  was  the  object  of  the 
expedition.  On  the  third  day  we  arrived  off  the  island,  and 
our  troops  were  disembarked  at  two  points,  expecting  to 
meet  with  strong  opposition.  Such,  however,  to  our  sur- 
prise, was  not  the  case.  It  appeared  that  the  militia  of  the 
island,  being  composed  of  slaves,  and  who  were  sent  to 
oppose  us,  did  not  consider  that  slavery  was  worth  fighting 
for  quite  as  well  as  liberty,  and  therefore  very  quietly  walked 
home  again,  leaving  the  governor  and  regular  troops  to 
decide  the  question  as  to  whether  the  island  was  for  the 
future  to  belong  to  the  French  or  English.  But  the  two 
following  days  there  was  some  hard  fighting,  and  our  troops, 
although  they  advanced,  had  a  severe  loss.  The  French 
retired  from  the  advanced  posts  to  Fort  Dessaix,  and  we 
obtained  possession  of  the  fort  on  Point  Salamon. 

The  next  point  to  be  attacked  was  Pigeon  Island,  and 
there  the  navy  were  called  into  action.  We  had  to  get  the 
carronades  and  mortars  up  a  hill  almost  inaccessible  ;  we  did 
it,  much  to  the  surprise  of  the  troops,  who  could  hardly 
believe  it  when  the  battery  opened  fire.  After  a  brisk 

220 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

cannonading  of  ten  hours,  Pigeon  Island  surrendered,  and 
then  the  admiral  stood  into,  and  anchored  the  fleet  in  Fort 
Royal  Bay  ;  not,  however,  in  time  to  prevent  the  French 
from  setting  fire  to  the  frigates  which  were  in  the  harbour. 
A  few  days  after,  the  town  of  St.  Pierre  and  the  town  of 
Fort  Royal  surrendered,  and  Fort  Dessaix  only  held  out. 
For  more  than  a  week  we  were  very  busy  constructing 
batteries  and  landing  cannon  and  mortars ;  and  when  all 
was  ready,  the  bombardment  of  Fort  Dessaix  commenced, 
and  five  days  afterwards  the  French  capitulated,  and  the 
island  was  formally  surrendered  to  the  English. 

I  have  hurried  over  the  capture,  as  it  has  oftentimes  been 
described  in  detail.  All  I  can  say  is,  that  it  was  very  hard 
work  for  the  seamen,  and  that  they  had  their  full  share  of 
the  fatigue  ;  but,  from  the  peculiar  nature  of  the  service,  an 
affair  took  place  which  was  of  much  importance  to  me. 
I  said  before  that  the  sailors  were  employed  in  the  hard 
duty  of  getting  the  guns,  &c.,  on  shore,  and  up  to  where 
the  batteries  were  to  be  erected, — in  short,  working  like 
slaves  in  the  heat  of  the  sun,  while  the  troops  remained 
quiet  investing  the  fort.  There  was  no  objection  raised  to 
this,  and  the  seamen  worked  very  willingly ;  but  the  staff 
and  mounted  officers  of  the  army,  who  rode  to  and  fro  giving 
orders,  were  not  quite  as  civil  as  they  might  have  been — 
that  is,  some  of  them ;  and  a  certain  feeling  of  dissension 
and  ill-will  was  created  in  consequence. 

The  junior  officers  of  the  navy,  and  the  lieutenants  who 
could  be  spared  to  direct  the  labour  of  the  seamen  on  shore, 
received  occasionally  very  harsh  language  from  some  of  the 
military  officers,  and  did  not  fail  to  give  very  prompt  replies 
to  those  whom  they  did  not  consider  had  any  right  to  control 
them.  Complaints  were  made  to  the  captains  of  the  men-of- 
war,  and  on  being  investigated,  the  result  generally  was,  that 
the  captains  defended  their  officers,  and  the  military  gentle- 
men obtained  no  redress.  The  active  service,  however,  did 
not  admit  of  any  notice  being  taken  of  it  at  the  time ;  but 
after  the  island  had  surrendered,  these  unfortunate  ani- 
mosities were  resumed; 

A  few  days  after  the  capture  of  the  island,  the  prisoners 
and  troops  were  embarked,  and  the  fleet  sailed,  a  sufficient 
garrison  being  left  upon  the  island  for  its  defence.  The 

221 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

admiral  also  thought  proper  to  leave  two  or  three  men-of-war 
in  the  harbour,  and  our  frigate  was  one.  For  the  first  few 
days  everything  went  on  smoothly.  The  French  inhabitants 
were  soon  on  good  terms  with  us,  and  balls  and  parties  had 
commenced ;  but  the  seamen  and  soldiers,  when  they  met  at 
the  liquor-stores,  began  to  quarrel  as  to  which  branch  of  the 
service  had  done  most  towards  the  taking  the  island.  This 
will  always  be  the  case  with  people  so  addicted  to  intoxica- 
tion. Several  severe  wounds  were  received  in  the  various 
skirmishes  which  took  place,  and  at  last  the  seamen  were 
interdicted  from  going  on  shore.  Indeed,  as  they  were  not 
armed,  and  the  soldiers  carried  their  bayonets,  it  was  too 
unequal  a  contest  when  an  affray  took  place  ;  but  the  ill-will 
spread,  and  at  last  arrived  to  the  superior  officers. 

The  consequence  was,  that  a  challenge  was  given  to  one  of 
the  captains  of  the  frigates  by  an  adjutant.  It  was  accepted  ; 
but  not  an  hour  after  it  was  accepted,  the  captain  was  taken 
with  a  fever,  and  on  the  morning  of  the  following  day,  when 
the  duel  was  to  have  taken  place,  he  was  not  able  to  quit  his 
bed  ;  and  the  military  gentleman,  on  arriving  at  the  ground, 
found  an  excuse  instead  of  an  antagonist.  Whether  it  was 
really  supposed  that  the  fever  was  a  mere  excuse  to  avoid 
the  duel,  or  that  the  animosity  prevailing  gave  rise  to  the 
report,  certain  it  is,  that  there  were  many  sneers  on  the 
part  of  the  military  men,  and  great  indignation  on  the  part 
of  the  naval  officers,  who,  if  they  could  have  so  done,  would 
have  gone  on  shore  on  purpose  to  insult  every  officer  they 
could  meet  who  wore  a  red  coat ;  but  in  consequence  of  this 
excitement  being  known,  all  leave  was  prohibited. 

Captain  Dehnar,  who  was  the  naval  commanding  officer, 
had  taken  up  his  quarters  on  shore.  He  had  done  all  he 
possibly  could  to  prevent  the  unpleasant  feeling  from  con- 
tinuing, and  had  shown  great  forbearance  and  good  sense  ; 
but  it  so  happened  that,  being  in  company  with  some  of 
the  military  staff,  observations  were  made  in  his  presence, 
relative  to  the  conduct  of  the  naval  captain  ill  with  the 
fever,  that  he  could  not  permit.  He  gave  a  flat  denial  to 
them,  and  the  consequence  was,  that  language  was  used 
which  left  no  alternative  but  a  duel. 

This  was  the  Monday  night,  and  it  was  too  late  then ;  it 
was  agreed  that  the  meeting  should  take  place  on  the 

222 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

following  evening  at  sunset.  I  believe  this  was  proposed 
by  Captain  Delmar,  in  preference  to  the  morning,  as  he 
knew  his  antagonist  was  a  regular  duellist,  and  he  wished 
to  have  the  next  day  to  put  his  affairs  in  oi-der,  previous  to 
the  meeting.  I  should  here  observe  that  the  captain  had 
not  been  on  anything  like  intimate  terms  with  his  lieu- 
tenants. The  surgeon  and  master  were  old  shipmates,  and 
with  them  he  was  sociable :  whether  it  was  that  he  did 
not  choose  to  ask  the  favour  of  the  commissioned  officers, 
certain  it  is,  that  he  sent  for  the  master  to  be  his  second 
on  the  occasion,  and  on  the  master  returning  on  board,  he 
desired  me  to  go  on  shore  with  the  boat  and  take  the 
captain's  pistols  with  me,  but  not  to  allow  them  to  be  seen 
by  any  one ;  a  message  was  also  sent  for  the  surgeon  to  go 
on  shore  to  the  captain. 

When  the  surgeon  and  I  arrived  at  the  house  where  the 
captain  resided,  and  were  ushered  up,  the  sitting-room  was 
empty.  I  had  put  the  case  of  pistols  in  a  piece  of  canvas,  so 
as  to  look  like  despatches  about  to  be  sent  to  England,  and 
I  uncovered  them  and  placed  them  on  one  of  the  tables. 
A  few  minutes  afterwards  the  captain  came  out,  and  I  was 
very  much  surprised  at  his  appearance ;  he  was  very  flushed 
and  heated  in  the  face,  and  appeared  to  tremble  as  he 
walked.  The  surgeon  also  looked  at  him  with  surprise.  We 
knew  him  to  be  incapable  of  fear,  and  yet  he  gave  us  the 
appearance  of  a  person  very  much  troubled. 

"  Doctor,"  said  he,  "  I  am  glad  that  you  are  come.  I  feel 
very  unwell — feel  my  pulse." 

"  Yes,  sir,"  said  the  doctor,  "  that  you  certainly  are ;  you 
have  the  same  fever  on  you  as  Captain  W.  Singular." 

"Yes,  but  it  will  be  rather  too  singular,  doctor.  Poor  W. 
had  obloquy  enough  on  account  of  his  illness ;  and  if  a  second 
captain  in  the  navy  were  to  be  obliged  to  send  a  similar 
excuse,  we  should  be  at  a  pretty  discount  with  the  red-coats. 
If  you  can  do  anything  for  me,  do  ;  but  it  must  be  perfectly 
understood  that  fight  to-morrow  evening  I  will,  even  if  I  am 
carried  to  the  ground." 

"  Certainly,  Captain  Delmar,  if  it  is  possible.  I  think  that 
a  little  blood  must  be  taken  from  you  immediately,  and 
probably  the  fever  may  subside." 

But  before  his  arm  could  be  bound  up,  the  captain  became 

223 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

incoherent  in  his  discourse ;  and  after  the  bleeding  had  been 
performed,  when  he  attempted  to  look  at  his  papers,  he  was 
so  confused  that  he  found  it  impossible,  and  was  obliged  to  be 
put  to  bed  immediately.  When  the  surgeon  came  out  of  his 
bedroom,  he  said  to  us,  "He'll  never  get  up  to  fight  that  duel, 
depend  upon  it ;  the  fever  increases — it  may  be  that  he  may 
never  rise  again — I  fear  it  is  the  yellow  fever." 

"  A  bad  job/'  replied  the  master — "  a  very  bad  job  indeed : 
two  captains  in  the  navy  receiving  challenges,  and  both  send- 
ing excuses  on  account  of  illness.  The  service  will  be  dis- 
graced. I'll  fight  the  soldier  myself." 

"That  will  never  do,"  replied  the  surgeon;  "it  will  not 
help  the  captain  that  he  has  sent  one  of  his  officers  in  his 
stead.  Steward,  make  me  a  bed  up  here  in  this  room ;  I 
shall  not  leave  the  house  to-night." 

"  It's  of  no  use  my  staying  here,"  observed  the  master  ; 
"  nor  you  either,  Keene :  let's  go  on  board,  and  we  will  be 
here  early  to-morrow  morning.  Confounded  bad  job,  this. 
Good-bye." 

The  master  and  I  returned  to  the  boat.  I  had  been 
reflecting  a  good  deal  on  the  disgrace  which  would,  at  all 
events  for  a  certain  period,  be  thrown  upon  the  service  and 
Captain  Delmar  by  this  unfortunate  circumstance,  and  before 
I  had  gone  up  the  ship's  side  I  had  made  up  my  mind.  As 
soon  as  we  were  on  board,  I  requested  the  master  to  allow 
me  to  speak  to  him  in  his  cabin ;  and  when  we  were  there, 
after  canvassing  the  question,  and  pointing  out  to  him  what 
discredit  would  ensue,  and  working  him  up  into  a  great  state 
of  irritation,  I  then  proposed  to  him  what  I  considered  to  be 
the  best  course  to  pursue.  "  Every  one  says  how  like  I  am 
to  Captain  Delmar,  Mr.  Smith,"  said  I. 

"  If  you  were  his  own  son,  you  could  not  be  more  so," 
replied  the  master. 

"  Well,  sir,  I  am  now  as  tall  as  he  is.  The  colour  of  my  hair 
is  lighter,  certainly ;  but  the  captain  wears  a  wig.  Now,  sir, 
I  am  perfectly  sure  that  if  I  were  to  put  on  the  captain's 
uniform  and  wig,  as  the  duel  is  to  take  place  in  the  evening, 
they  never  could  find  out  that  it  was  not  the  captain ;  and  as 
for  a  good  shot,  I  think  I  can  hit  a  button  as  well  as  the  best 
duellist  in  existence." 

The  master  bit  his  lips,  and  was  silent  for  a  short  time. 
22-i 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

At  last  he  said,  "What  you  propose  is  certainly  very 
easy;  but  why  should  you  risk  your  life  for  Captain  Del- 
mar  ?  " 

"  Why,  did  you  not  offer  to  do  it  just  now  for  the  honour 
of  the  service  ?  I  have  that  feeling,  and  moreover  wish  to 
serve  Captain  Delmar,  who  has  been  my  patron.  What's 
the  life  of  a  midshipman  worth,  even  if  I  were  to  fall  ? — 
nothing." 

"  That's  true  enough,"  replied  the  master  bluntly ;  and 
then  correcting  himself,  he  added,  "that  is,  midshipmen  in 
general ;  but  I  think  you  may  be  worth  something  by-and- 
by.  However,  Keene,  I  do  think,  on  the  whole,  it's  a  very 
good  plan ;  and  if  the  captain  is  not  better  to-morrow,  we 
will  then  consider  it  more  seriously.  I  have  an  idea  that 
you  are  more  likely  to  pin  the  fellow  than  the  captain,  who, 
although  as  brave  a  man  as  can  be,  has  not,  I  believe,  fired 
twenty  pistols  in  his  life.  Good  night ;  and  I  hardly  need 
say  we  must  keep  our  secret." 

"  Never  fear,  sir.     Good  night." 

I  went  to  my  hammock,  quite  overjoyed  at  the  half-consent 
given  by  the  master  to  my  proposition.  It  would  give  me 
such  a  claim  on  Captain  Delmar,  if  I  survived ;  and  if  I  fell, 
at  all  events  he  would  cherish  my  memory  ;  but  as  for  falling, 
I  felt  sure  that  I  should  not.  I  had  a  presentiment  (probably 
no  more  than  the  buoyant  hope  of  youth)  that  I  should  be 
the  victor.  At  all  events,  I  went  to  sleep  very  soundly,  and 
did  not  awake  until  I  was  roused  up  by  the  quartermaster  on 
the  following  morning. 

After  breakfast  the  master  requested  a  boat  to  be  manned, 
and  we  went  on  shore.  On  our  arrival  at  the  house,  we  found 
the  surgeon  in  great  anxiety ;  the  captain  was  in  a  state  of 
delirium,  and  the  fever  was  at  the  highest. 

"  How  is  he  ?  "  demanded  the  master. 

"  More  likely  to  go  out  of  the  world  himself  than  to  send 
another  out  of  it,"  replied  the  surgeon.  "  He  cannot  well  be 
worse,  and  that  is  all  that  I  can  say.  He  has  been  raving  all 
night,  and  I  have  been  obliged  to  take  nearly  two  pounds  of 
blood  from  him ;  and,  Mr.  Keene,"  continued  the  surgeon, 
"  he  talks  a  great  deal  of  you  and  other  persons.  You  may 
go  in  to  him,  if  you  please ;  for  I  have  as  much  as  possible 
kept  the  servants  away — they  will  talk." 

225  f 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

"Bob  Cross  is  down  below,  sir/'  replied  I;  "he  is  the 
safest  man  to  wait  upon  him." 

"I  agree  with  you,  Keene — send  for  him,  and  he  shall 
remain  at  his  bedside." 

The  master  then  spoke  with  the  surgeon,  and  communi- 
cated my  proposition ;  and  the  surgeon  replied,  "  Well, 
from  what  I  have  learned  this  night,  there  is  no  person 
who  has  so  great  a  right  to  take  his  place ;  and  perhaps 
it  will  be  as  well,  both  for  the  captain's  sake  and  his  own. 
At  all  events,  I  will  go  with  you,  and,  in  case  of  accident, 
do  my  best." 

The  matter  was,  therefore,  considered  as  arranged,  and  I 
went  into  the  captain's  room.  He  was  delirious,  and  con- 
stantly crying  out  about  his  honour  and  disgrace ;  indeed, 
there  is  no  doubt  but  that  his  anxiety  to  meet  his  antagonist 
was  one  very  great  cause  of  the  fever  having  run  so  high  ; 
but  at  times  he  changed  the  subject,  and  then  he  spoke  of 
me  and  my  mother.  "Where  is  my  boy — my  own  boy, 
Percival ! "  said  he — "  my  pride — where  is  he  ?  Arabella, 
you  must  not  be  angry  with  me — no,  Arabella ;  consider  the 
consequence ; "  and  then  he  would  burst  out  in  such  fond 
expressions  towards  me,  that  the  tears  ran  down  my  cheeks  as 
I  planted  a  kiss  upon  his  forehead ;  for  he  was  insensible, 
and  I  could  do  so  without  offence. 

Bob  Cross,  who  had  for  some  time  been  at  his  bedside, 
wiped  the  tears  from  his  eyes,  and  said,  "  Master  Keene,  how 
this  man  must  have  suffered,  to  have  cloaked  his  feelings 
towards  you  in  the  way  which  he  has  done  !  However,  I  am 
glad  to  hear  all  this,  and,  if  necessary,  I  will  tell  him  of  it — 
ay,  if  I  get  seven  dozen  for  it  the  next  minute." 

I  remained  with  Bob  Cross  at  his  bedside  for  the  whole 
day,  during  which  he  more  than  twenty  times  acknowledged 
me  as  his  son.  As  the  evening  closed  in,  I  prepared  in 
silence  for  the  duty  I  had  to  perform.  To  the  surprise  of 
Cross,  who  was  ignorant  of  what  I  intended,  I  stripped  off  my 
own  clothes,  and  put  on  those  of  the  captain,  and  then  put  his 
wig  over  my  own  hair.  I  then  examined  myself  in  the  glass, 
and  was  satisfied. 

"Well,"  said  Cross,  looking  at  me,  "you  do  look  like  the 
captain  himself,  and  might  almost  go  on  board  and  read  the 
articles  of  war ;  but  surely,  Master  Keene,"  added  he,  look- 

226 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

ing  at  the  captain  as  he  lay  senseless  in  bed,  "  this  is  no  time 
for  foolery  of  this  sort." 

"  It  is  no  foolery,  Bob/'  replied  I,  taking  his  hand  ;  "  I  am 
going  to  represent  the  captain  and  fight  a  duel  for  him,  or 
the  service  will  be  disgraced." 

"  I  didn't  know  that  the  captain  had  a  duel  to  fight," 
replied  Bob,  "although  I  heard  that  there  had  been  words." 

I  then  explained  the  whole  to  him.  "You  are  right, 
Master  Keene — right  in  everything.  May  God  bless  you, 
and  send  you  good  luck.  I  wish  I  might  go  with  you." 

"  No,  Bob,  that  must  not  be." 

"Then,  God  bless  you,  and  may  you  floor  the  soldier. 
Lord,  what  a  state  I  shall  be  in  till  I  know  what  has  taken 
place ! " 

"  It  will  soon  be  known,  Bob ;  so  good-bye,  and  I  trust  we 
shall  meet  again."  I  then  went  out  of  the  bedroom. 

The  surgeon  actually  started  when  I  made  my  appearance, 
and  acknowledged  that  the  personation  was  exact.  Taking 
the  arm  of  the  surgeon  and  the  master,  we  set  off,  the  master 
carrying  the  pistols,  which  had  been  prepared;  and  in  a 
quarter  of  an  hour  we  arrived  at  the  place  of  meeting.  My 
disguise  was  so  complete,  that  we  had  not  hesitated  to  walk 
out  sooner  than  we  had  intended ;  and  we  found  ourselves 
the  first  on  the  field  of  action,  which  I  was  glad  of. 

About  dusk,  which  was  the  time  agreed  upon,  and  about 
five  minutes  after  our  arrival,  our  antagonists  made  their  ap- 
pearance. There  was  no  time  to  be  lost,  as  there  is  little  or 
no  twilight  in  the  West  Indies ;  so  a  polite  bow  was  ex- 
changed, and  the  ground  marked  out  at  eight  paces  by  the 
master  and  the  second  of  my  opponent.  A  very  short  parley 
then  took  place  between  Mr.  Smith  and  the  other  gentleman, 
who  officiated  for  the  adjutant,  in  which  it  was  decided  that 
we  should  turn  back  to  back,  with  our  pistols  ready,  and  that 
on  the  words,  "  Make  ready — present — fire,"  given  in  succes- 
sion, we  were  to  turn  round  to  each  other,  level,  and  fire. 
This  made  it  more  difficult  to  hit ;  indeed  it  was  almost  im- 
possible to  take  aim,  as  the  words  were  given  so  quick  after 
each  other ;  and  the  great  point  was,  to  fire  as  soon  as  the 
word  was  given. 

The  first  discharge  was  not  lucky  for  me.  I  missed  my 
antagonist,  and  received  his  bullet  in  my  left  shoulder.  This 

227 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

did  not,  however,  disable  me,  and  I  said  nothing  about  it. 
The  pistols  were  again  loaded,  and  handed  to  us ;  and  on 
the  signal  being  given,  my  adversary's  pistol  went  off  a  little 
before  the  word  "  fire  "  was  given,  and  I  felt  myself  again 
hit;  but  I  returned  the  fire  with  fatal  success.  The  ball 
went  through  his  body,  and  he  fell.  The  surgeon,  master, 
and  his  second  immediately  went  up,  and  raised  him 
into  a  sitting  position ;  but  in  a  few  minutes  he  was 
senseless. 

In  the  meantime  I  remained  where  I  was,  having  dropped 
my  pistol  on  the  ground.  That  I  had  an  unpleasant  pang  at 
the  idea  of  a  fellow-creature  having  fallen  by  my  hand  in  a 
duel  I  acknowledge,  but  when  I  had  called  to  mind  why  I 
had  fought  the  duel,  and  that  I  had  saved  the  honour  of  the 
captain  (may  I  not  say  at  once  my  father's  honour  ?  for  that 
was  my  feeling),  I  could  not,  and  did  not,  repent  the  deed. 
But  I  had  not  time  given  me  to  analyse  my  feelings ;  a 
sensation  of  faintness  rapidly  crept  over  me.  The  fact  was 
that  I  had  been  bleeding  profusely ;  and  while  the  surgeon 
and  the  others  were  still  hanging  over  the  expiring  adjutant, 
I  dropped,  and  fell  fainting  on  the  ground.  When  I  recovered 
I  found  myself  in  bed,  and  attended  on  by  the  surgeon,  the 
master,  and  Bob  Cross. 

"  Keep  quiet,  Keene,"  said  the  surgeon,  "  and  all  will  be 
well ;  but  keep  quiet,  that  we  may  have  no  fever.  Here, 
drink  this,  and  try  if  you  cannot  go  to  sleep."  They  raised 
me  up,  and  I  swallowed  the  mixture ;  my  head  was  so  con- 
fused, and  I  was  so  weak,  that  I  felt  as  if  I  hardly  dared 
breathe,  lest  my  breath  should  leave  my  body,  and  I  was  glad 
to  find  myself  again  on  the  pillow.  I  was  soon  in  a  sound 
sleep,  from  which  I  did  not  arouse  for  many  hours,  and,  as  I 
afterwards  was  told,  had  had  a  very  narrow  escape  from  the 
exhaustion  arising  from  the  excessive  hemorrhage. 

When  I  opened  my  eyes  the  next  morning,  I  could  scarcely 
recall  my  senses.  I  saw  Bob  Cross  sometimes,  and  I  heard 
moaning  and  talking.  I  thought  the  latter  was  my  own 
voice,  but  it  was  Captain  Delmar,  whose  fever  still  continued, 
and  who  was  in  an  alarming  state.  It  was  not  till  the 
evening,  twenty-four  hours  after  the  duel,  that  I  could  com- 
pletely recall  my  senses ;  then  I  did,  and  motioned  to  Cross 
that  I  wanted  drink.  He  gave  me  some  lemonade — it  was 

228 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

nectar ;  he  then  went  out  for  the  surgeon,  who  came  to  the 
bedside,  and  felt  my  pulse. 

"  You'll  do  now,  my  boy,"  said  he ;  "  get  another  good 
sleep  to-night,  and  to-morrow  morning  you  will  have  nothing 
to  do  but  to  get  well." 

"  Where  am  I  hit  ?  "  said  I. 

"You  had  a  ball  in  your  shoulder  and  another  in  your  hip, 
but  they  are  both  extracted ;  the  one  in  the  hip  cut  through 
a  large  vein,  and  the  hemorrhage  was  so  great  before  you 
could  be  brought  here,  that  at  one  time  I  thought  you  were 
gone.  Your  life  hung  upon  a  thread  for  hours ;  but  we  may 
thank  God  that  all  is  right  now.  You  have  no  fever,  and 
your  pulse  is  getting  strong  again." 

"  How's  the  captain,  sir  ?  " 

"  As  bad  as  bad  can  be  just  now ;  but  I  have  hopes  of  a 
change  for  the  better." 

"  And  Captain  W.,  sir  ?  " 

"  Poor  fellow  !  he  is  dead  ;  and  so  has  decidedly  proved 
that  his  fever  was  not  a  sham ;  the  soldiers  are  a  little 
ashamed  of  themselves — and  so  they  ought  to  be ;  but  too 
often  good  feelings  come  too  late.  Now,  Keene,  you  have 
talked  quite  enough  for  to-night ;  take  your  sedative  mixture, 
and  go  to  sleep  again ;  to-morrow,  I  have  no  doubt,  you  will 
be  able  to  ask  as  many  questions  as  you  like." 

"  Only  one  more,  sir, — is  the  adjutant  dead  ?  " 

"I  have  not  heard,"  replied  the  surgeon;  "but  we  shall 
know  to-morrow;  now  go  to  sleep,  and  good-night." 

When  the  surgeon  left  the  room,  "  Bob  !  "  said  I. 

"  Not  an  answer  will  I  give  to-night,  Mr.  Keene,"  said 
Bob  Cross ;  "  to-morrow  morning  we'll  have  the  rights  and 
wrongs  of  the  whole  story.  You  must  obey  orders,  sir,  and 
go  to  sleep." 

As  I  knew  Bob  would  do  as  he  said,  I  laid  my  head  down, 
and  was  soon  once  more  in  forgetfulness.  It  was  not  day- 
light when  I  again  awoke,  and  found  Cross  snoring  in  the 
chair  by  the  bedside  ;  poor  fellow,  he  had  never  lain  down 
since  he  came  on  shore,  when  the  captain  was  first  taken  ill. 
I  felt  much  better,  although  my  wounds  tingled  a  little,  and 
I  was  very  anxious  to  know  if  Captain  Delmar  was  out  of 
danger;  but  that  could  not  be  ascertained  till  I  saw  the 
surgeon.  I  remained  thinking  over  the  events  which  had 

229 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

passed.  I  called  to  mind  that  the  captain,  in  his  delirium,  had 
called  me  his  own  boy,  his  Percival,  and  I  felt  more  happy. 

About  an  hour  after  I  had  awoke,  the  surgeon  came  into 
the  room.  "  How  is  Captain  Delmar,  sir  ?  "  said  I. 

"I  am  glad  to  say  that  he  is  much  better;  but  I  must 
wake  up  poor  Cross,  who  is  tired  out." 

Cross,  who  was  awake  the  moment  that  we  spoke,  was  now 
on  his  legs. 

"  You  must  go  to  the  captain,  and  keep  the  bed-clothes  on 
him,  Cross.  He  is  now  in  a  perspiration,  and  it  must  not  be 
checked — do  you  understand  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  replied  Bob,  walking  away  into  the  other  room. 

"You  are  all  right  again,  Keene,"  said  the  surgeon,  feeling 
my  pulse;  "we  will  look  at  your  wounds  by-and-by,  and 
change  the  dressing." 

"  Tell  me,  sir,"  said  I,  "  how  have  you  managed  ?  Nobody 
has  found  it  out  ?  " 

"Oh,  no;  it  is  supposed  that  Captain  Delmar  is  badly 
wounded,  and  that  you  have  the  yellow  fever,  and  we  must 
keep  it  up — that  is  the  reason  why  Bob  Cross  is  the  only  one 
allowed  to  come  into  the  sick  rooms.  I  have  no  doubt  that 
Captain  Delmar  will  be  sensible  in  a  few  hours,  arid  then  we 
shall  be  puzzled  what  to  say  to  him.  Must  we  tell  him  the 
truth?" 

"  Not  at  present,  sir,  at  all  events ;  tell  him  that  he  has 
fought  the  duel,  and  killed  his  man ;  he  will  think  that  he 
did  it  when  he  was  out  of  his  senses,  or  else  that  the  fever 
has  driven  it  from  his  memory." 

"  Well,  perhaps  that  will  be  the  best  way  just  now  ;  it  will 
relieve  his  mind,  for  with  his  return  to  sensibility  will  also 
revive  his  feelings  of  disgrace  and  dishonour  ;  and  if  they  are 
not  checked,  the  fever  may  come  on  again." 

The  surgeon  gave  me  some  breakfast  this  morning,  and 
then  dressed  my  wounds,  which  he  pronounced  were  doing 
quite  well ;  and  about  twelve  o'clock  the  master  came  on 
shore  with  the  first  lieutenant.  The  master  came  into  my 
room  after  the  first  lieutenant  went  away,  who  had  been 
told  by  the  surgeon  that  he  could  not  see  Captain  Delmar — 
and  he  of  course  did  not  wish  to  come  into  contact  with  me, 
who  he  supposed  had  the  yellow  fever.  In  the  afternoon 
Captain  Delmar  woke  up  from  his  stupor — the  fever  had 

230 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

left  him,  and  he  had  nothing  to  combat  with  but  extreme 
debility.  "  Where  am  I  ? "  said  he,  after  a  pause ;  and  re- 
1  collecting  himself,  he  continued  to  Cross,  who  was  the  only 
person  in  the  room,  and  who  had  received  his  instructions 
from  the  surgeon,  "  How  long  have  I  lain  here  ?  " 

"  Ever  since  the  duel,  sir." 

"  The  duel — how  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"  I  mean  ever  since  your  honour  fought  the  duel,  and 
killed  the  soldier  officer." 

"  Killed — duel — I  can't  recollect  having  fought  the  duel." 

"Dare  say  not,  your  honour,"  replied  Bob;  "you  were  in 
a  roaring  fever  at  the  time ;  but  you  would  not  stay  in  bed, 
all  the  surgeon  could  do — go  you  would ;  but  when  you  had 
fought  we  were  obliged  to  carry  you  back  again." 

"And  so  I  really  have  fought — I  have  not  the  least  re- 
collection— I  must  have  been  in  a  high  fever  indeed.  Where's 
the  surgeon  ?  " 

"  He's  in  the  verandah  below,  sir,  speaking  to  some  soldier 
officers  who  have  come  to  inquire  after  your  health.  Here 
he  comes." 

The  surgeon  came  in,  and  Captain  Delmar  then  said  to 
him,  "  Is  this  all  true  that  Cross  has  been  telling  me  ?  Have 
I  really  fought  a  duel  and  killed  my  adversary  ?  " 

"I  regret  to  say,  sir,  that  he  is  dead,  and  was  buried 
yesterday ;  but  if  you  please,  you  must  not  talk  any  more  at 
present — you  must  be  quiet  for  a  few  hours." 

"WTell,  doctor,  so  that  my  honour  is  saved,  I  am  content 
to  obey  you — it's  very  odd "  Here  the  captain  was  ex- 
hausted and  was  silent,  and  in  a  few  minutes  he  was  again 
asleep,  and  remained  slumbering  till  the  next  morning,  when 
he  was  much  better.  He  then  entered  into  conversation 
with  the  surgeon,  making  him  describe  the  duel ;  and  the 
latter  did  so,  so  as  to  satisfy  the  captain ;  and  he  also  in- 
formed him  that  I  had  been  taken  ill  with  the  fever,  and  was 
in  the  next  room. 

"  Next  room  ! "  replied  the  captain ;  "  why  was  he  not 
sent  on  board  ?  Are  all  the  midshipmen  who  are  taken  ill 
to  be  brought  to  my  house  to  be  cured  ?  " 

I  overheard  this  reply  of  the  captain,  and  it  cut  me  to  the 
heart.  I  felt  what  invincible  pride  had  to  be  conquered 
before  I  could  obtain  my  wishes. 

231 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

The  surgeon  answered  Captain  Delmar— "  As  only  you  and 
Mr.  Keene  were  taken  with  the  fever,  I  thought  it  better 
that  he  should  remain  here,  than  that  the  ship's  company 
should  take  it  by  his  being  sent  on  board.  I  trust,  Captain 
Delmar,  I  have  done  right  ?  " 

"Yes,  I  see,"  replied  the  captain;  "you  did  perfectly 
right— I  did  not  think  of  that.  I  hope  Mr.  Keene  is  doing 

well?" 

"  I  trust  that  we  shall  get  him  through  it,  sir,"  replied  the 

surgeon. 

"  Pray  let  him  have  anything  that  he  requires,  Mr. ; 

let  him  want  for  nothing  during  his  illness  and  convalescence. 
He  would  be  a  heavy  loss  to — the  service,"  added  the  captain. 

"  He  would,  indeed,  sir,"  replied  the  surgeon.  "  Here  are 
the  journals  of  St.  Pierre,  in  which  there  are  several  accounts 
of  the  duel,  most  of  them  incorrect.  Some  say  that  you  were 
twice  wounded,  others  once." 

"  I  dare  say  they  thought  so,"  replied  the  captain,  "  for 
Cross  tells  me  that  I  was  carried  home.  It's  very  singular 
that  I  should  have  fought  in  such  a  condition.  Thank  you, 

Mr. ;  I  will  read  them  when  I  have  lain  down  a  little, 

for  I  am  tired  again  already." 

The  surgeon  then  informed  the  captain  of  the  death  of 
Captain  W. 

"  Poor  fellow  !  "  replied  Captain  Delmar.  "  Well,  I  will  not 
make  any  appointments  until  I  am  better."  The  captain  then 
lay  down  again,  leaving  the  newspapers  on  the  coverlet. 

A  week  now  passed,  during  which  both  the  captain  and  I 
became  nearly  convalescent ;  we  had  both  been  out  of  bed, 
and  had  remained  for  a  few  hours  on  the  sofas  in  our  respec- 
tive rooms.  The  surgeon  told  me  that  it  would  be  necessary 
to  tell  him  the  truth  very  soon,  and  that  he  thought  he  would 
do  so  on  the  following  day.  It  did,  however,  happen  that  the 
discovery  was  not  made  to  him  by  the  surgeon.  In  the  after- 
noon, when  the  latter  was  on  board,  Captain  Delmar  felt  so 
strong  that  he  resolved  to  put  on  his  clothes,  and  go  into  the 
sitting-room.  He  desired  Cross  to  give  them  to  him,  and  the 
first  articles  handed  to  him  were  his  trousers,  and  Bob  quite 
forgot  that  I  had  worn  them. 

"  Why,  how's  this  ?  "  said  the  captain — "  here's  a  hole 
through  the  waistband,  and  they  are  bloody." 

232 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

Bob  was  so  frightened,  that  he  walked  out  of  the  room,  as 
if  he  had  not  heard  what  the  captain  had  said.  It  appears 
that  the  captain  took  up  his  coat,  and  discovered  another 
hole  in  the  shoulder,  with  the  same  marks  of  blood. 

"This  is  quite  a  dream,"  said  the  captain,  talking  to  him- 
self; "I've  no  wound,  and  yet  the  newspapers  say  that  I  was 
wounded  twice.  Cross  !  Cross  ! — Where  is  Cross  ?  " 

Bob,  who  had  taken  refuge  in  my  room,  where  we  over- 
heard everything  lie  said,  Avhispered,  '''It's  no  use  now,  Mr. 
Keene, — I  must  tell  it  all ;  never  fear  me,  I  know  how  to  do 
it."  And  then  he  obeyed  the  captain's  summons,  leaving  me 
in  a  state  of  great  nervous  anxiety. 

"  Cross,"  said  the  captain  sternly,  "  I  insist  upon  knowing 
the  truth  :  I  have  been  deceived  by  my  officers.  Did  I,  or 
did  I  not,  fight  this  duel  ?  " 

"  Well,  sir,"  replied  Cross,  "  the  truth  was  only  kept  back 
from  you  till  you  were  quite  well  again,  and  I  suppose  1  must 
tell  it  to  you  now.  You  were  too  ill,  and  you  raved  about 
your  honour,  and  that  you  were  disgraced,  and  that " 

"Well,  go  on,  sir." 

"  I  will,  Captain  Delmar ;  but  I  hope  you'll  not  be  angry, 
sir.  Mr.  Keene  could  not  bear  to  see  you  in  that  way,  and 
he  said  he  would  lay  down  his  life  for  you  at  any  time,  and 
he  begged  Mr.  Smith,  the  master,  to  allow  him  to  fight  the 
duel,  because  he  said  that  he  was  so  like  you  in  person 
(which,  somehow  or  other,  he  is,  that's  certain),  that  no  one 
would  know  it  was  him  if  he  put  on  your  honour's  wig  and 
uniform  :  that's  how  it  was,  sir." 

"  Go  on,"  said  the  captain. 

"Well,  sir,  the  master  could  not  bear  the  sneering  of  the 
sogers  on  shore,  and  he  consented  that  Mr.  Keene  should 
take  your  place,  which  he  did,  sir ;  and  I  hope  you  will  not 
be  angry  with  Mr.  Keene,  for  it's  your  old  coat,  sir,  and  I 
think  it  may  have  a  piece  let  in,  that  it  won't  be  seen." 

Cross  then  went  on  describing  the  whole  affair — of  course, 
praising  me — and  told  the  captain  that  everybody  on  board, 
as  well  as  on  shore,  thought  that  he  was  wounded,  and  that  I 
had  been  taken  with  the  yellow  fever,  and  that  nobody  knew 
the  real  truth  except  the  master,  the  surgeon,  and  himself. 

"  Is  Mr.  Keene  seriously  hurt  ?  "  inquired  the  captain,  after 
a  pause. 

233 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

"  No,  sir ;  the  doctor  says  he  will  do  very  well.  He  was 
as  near  gone  as  ever  a  man  was ;  at  one  time  his  breath 
would  not  move  a  feather — all  the  blood  was  out  of  his 
body." 

For  a  minute  the  captain  made  no  reply ;  at  last  he  said, 
in  a  quiet  tone,  "  You  may  leave  the  room,  Cross." 

What  were  the  thoughts  and  feelings  of  Captain  Delmar 
when  he  was  left  to  reflect  upon  the  information  which  he 
had  received,  I  cannot  tell ;  but  that  he  was  not  angry  I 
inferred  by  the  tone  in  which  he  desired  Cross  to  leave  the 
room.  I  Avas  absorbed  in  my  own  feelings,  when  the  surgeon 
entered  the  room,  and  gave  me  a  letter.  "  Here's  a  schooner 
just  come  in  with  despatches  from  the  admiral,"  said  the 
surgeon ;  "  the  second  lieutenant  has  brought  them  on  shore 
for  the  captain,  and  among  the  letters  from  England  I  found 
this  one  for  you.  I  have  seen  Cross,"  continued  the  surgeon, 
nodding  his  head  significantly  as  he  left  the  room. 

"  The  second  lieutenant,  with  despatches,  sir,"  reported 
Bob  Cross  to  the  captain  in  the  other  room — "Shall  I  show 
him  in  ?  " 

"  No,  I  am  not  well ;  desire  him  to  send  them  in  by  you," 
replied  the  captain. 

While  the  captain  was  busy  with  his  despatches,  I  read 
my  letter,  which  was  from  my  mother,  enclosing  a  copy  of 
one  from  my  grandmother,  announcing  my  mother's  death. 
Of  course  there  were  a  great  many  dying  wishes ;  but  that 
was  a  matter  of  course.  I  felt  happy  that  this  letter  to  the 
captain  arrived  at  such  a  propitious,  time,  as  I  knew  that  the 
announcement  of  my  mother's  death  would  be  a  great  point 
in  my  favour.  That  it  ought  not  to  have  been,  I  confess ; 
but  I  knew  whom  I  had  to  deal  with :  the  captain  was 
ashamed  of  his  intimacy,  and  the  claims  of  my  mother  upon 
him,  but  not  so  much  ashamed  of  me ;  and  now  that  she 
was  removed,  probably  he  might  not  be  at  all  ashamed.  My 
mother  was  no  relation,  and  below  him — I  was  his  own  flesh 
and  blood,  and  half  ennobled  by  so  being. 

The  captain  sent  on  board  orders  for  getting  under  weigh. 
It  appeared  that  the  admiral  had  written  to  him,  desiring 
him  to  sail  for  the  coast  of  South  America,  to  look  after  a 
French  frigate,  and  that,  as  there  was  no  farther  occasion  for 
so  large  a  force  at  Martinique,  he  was  to  leave  the  next 

234 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

senior  officer  in  command  ;  but  this  was  Captain  W.,  who 
died  of  the  fever. 

As  senior  in  command,  Captain  Del  mar  then  filled  up  the 
vacancy  ;  the  captain  of  a  corvette  was  appointed  to  Captain 
W.'s  ship ;  our  first  lieutenant  to  the  command  of  the  cor- 
vette ;  but  the  lieutenant's  vacancy  was  not  filled  up,  much 
to  the  surprise  of  the  officers  of  the  squadron.  This  was  the 
work  of  the  afternoon ;  in  the  evening  the  master  was  sent 
for,  and  a  consultation  held  with  him  and  the  surgeon,  which 
ended  in  the  captain's  consenting  to  go  on  board  with  his 
arm  in  a  sling,  as  if  he  had  been  wounded,  and  my  being  put 
into  a  cot,  and  removed  on  board  to  the  captain's  cabin,  as 
if  still  too  weak  with  the  fever  to  quit  my  bed.  Cross  was 
enjoined  silence,  and  I  was  made  acquainted  by  the  surgeon 
with  the  result  of  the  confei'ence. 

The  next  morning  we  were  all  embarked,  and  we  hove  the 
anchor  up,  arid  made  sail  to  the  southward.  It  must  be 
observed,  that  I  had  neither  seen,  nor  had  any  communica- 
tions with  the  captain,  during  the  whole  of  this  time.  He 
was  informed  by  tlae  surgeon  that  I  was  in  great  distress  of 
mind  at  the  news  of  my  mother's  death,  and  that  my  recovery 
would  be  retarded  in  consequence. 


CHAPTER  XXI 

AT  was  not  until  three  or  four  days  after  the  ship  had  sailed 
from  Martinique  that  the  captain  spoke  to  me.  I  had  during 
that  time  remained  in  my  cot,  which  was  hung  up  in  the 
fore-cabin,  and  when  the  surgeon  dressed  my  wounds  it  was 
only  in  the  presence  of  Bob  Cross.  On  the  fourth  morning 
after  our  sailing,  the  captain  came  inside  of  the  screen,  which 
was  hung  round  my  cot.  "Well,  Mr.  Keene,"  said  he,  in  a 
very  kind  voice,  "how  are  you  ?" 

"  Much  better,  sir,  I  thank  you  ;  and  hope  you  will  look 
over  the  great  liberty  I  ventured  to  take  for  the  honour  of 
the  service." 

"Why,"  replied  the  captain,  smiling,  "I  think  you  have 
been  sufficiently  punished  already  for  your  temerity ;  I  appre- 

235 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

ciate  your  motive  of  action,  and  feel  obliged  to  you  for  your 
great  zeal  towards  the  service  and  towards  me.  ^  The  only 
objection  (I  may  say  annoyance)  I  have  on  the  subject  is,  the 
mystery  and  secrecy  compelled  to  be  observed  in  consequence 
of  your  taking  my  place,  and  still  more,  that  one  of  the  sea- 
men of  the  ship  should  be  a  party  to  the  secret." 

"  I  certainly  did  not  consider  the  consequences  as  I  ought 
to  have  done,  sir,  when  I  ventured  to  act  as  I  did,"  replied  I. 

"  Say  no  more  about  it,  Mr.  Keene.  I  am  very  sorry  to 
hear  of  your  mother's  death ;  but  it  was  not,  I  believe,  un- 
expected." 

"No,  sir,"  replied  I;  "and  therefore  the  shock  has  not 
been  so  great." 

"  Well,  Mr.  Keene,  of  course  it  is  from  the  interest  I  took 
in  your  mother  that  I  was  induced  to  take  you  under  my  pro- 
tection, and  her  death  will  make  no  difference  in  that  point, 
so  long  as  you  conduct  yourself  as  you  have  hitherto  done. 
You  have  now  created  a  strong  interest  for  yourself  by  your 
good  conduct,  and  I  shall  not  lose  sight  of  you.  How  many 
months  have  you  yet  to  serve  before  your  time  is  out  ?  " 

"  I  have  served  five  years  and  seven  months,  as  far  as  I 
can  recollect." 

"  So  I  thought.  Now,  Mr.  Keene,  it  was  because  I  thought 
of  you  that  I  did  not  fill  up  the  lieutenant's  vacancy  which 
was  made  by  the  death  of  Captain  W.  and  the  promotion  of 
the  commander  and  my  first  lieutenant.  As  soon  as  you  are 
well,  I  will  give  you  an  acting  order  as  lieutenant  of  this 
ship ;  and,  as  we  are  now  on  a  sort  of  roving  commission,  I 
have  no  doubt  but  that  you  will  have  served  your  time,  and 
found  the  means  of  passing,  before  we  join  the  admiral ;  your 
promotion  will,  under  such  circumstances,  be,  I  have  no 
doubt,  confirmed ;  so  all  you  have  to  do  now  is  to  get  well 
as  fast  as  you  can.  Good-bye." 

The  captain  then  gave  me  a  most  gracious  nod,  and  then 
went  outside  of  the  screen,  giving  me  no  time  for  thanks.  I 
was,  indeed,  overjoyed ;  not  so  much  at  the  promotion  as  at 
the  change  in  the  captain's  manner  towards  me — a  change  so 
palpable  that  it  filled  me  with  the  fondest  anticipations.  I 
remained  for  a  long  while  reflecting  upon  my  future  prospects. 
As  a  lieutenant  of  the  same  ship,  I  should  be  more  in  contact 
with  him ;  he  could  now  converse  and  take  notice  of  me 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

without  its  being  considered  remarkable ;  nay,  he  could  be 
intimate  with  me.  I  resolved  to  be  most  careful  of  my  con- 
duct, so  as  not  to  alarm  his  pride  by  the  least  familiarity, 
and  hoped,  eventually,  to  play  my  cards  so  as  to  obtain  my 
earnest  wish ;  but  I  felt  that  there  was  a  great  deal  of  ground 
to  go  over  first,  and  that  the  greatest  circumspection  was 
necessary.  I  felt  that  I  had  still  to  raise  myself  in  his 
opinion  and  in  the  opinion  of  the  world  to  a  much  higher 
position  than  I  was  in  at  present,  before  I  could  expect  that 
Captain  Delmar  would,  virtually,  acknowledge  me  as  his  son. 
I  felt  that  I  had  to  wade  through  blood,  and  stand  the  chance 
of  thousands  of  balls  and  bullets  in  my  professional  career, 
before  I  could  do  all  this.  A  bright  vista  of  futurity  floated 
before  me,  and,  in  the  far  distance,  I  felt  myself  in  the 
possession  of  my  ambition,  and  with  my  eyes  still  fixed  upon 
it,  I  dropped  fast  asleep,  revelling  still  in  the  same  dreams 
which  I  had  indulged  in  when  awake. 

In  a  fortnight  I  was  quite  recovered ;  my  wounds  had 
healed  up,  and  I  now  walked  about.  Having  had  my  uniform 
altered  by  the  ship's  tailor,  and  procured  an  epaulet  from  one 
of  the  lieutenants,  I  took  possession  of  my  cabin  in  the  gun- 
room, and  was  warmly  received  by  my  new  messmates ;  but 
I  did  not  return  to  my  duty  for  nearly  a  month,  on  account 
of  a  little  lameness  still  remaining,  and  which  the  surgeon 
declared  was  often  the  case  after  the  yellow  fever  ! ! 

I  ought  to  have  observed,  that  when  my  mother  was  so 
indulgent  as  to  commit  suicide  for  my  sake,  she  had  taken 
every  precaution,  and  the  letter  of  my  grandmother  informed 
Captain  Delmar  that  my  mother  had  bequeathed  me  £12,000 
in  the  Three  per  Cents.,  which  she  had  laid  by  from  her 
business,  and  that  therefore  there  was  no  longer  any  occasion 
that  I  should  be  an  expense  to  Captain  Delmar.  It  must 
not,  however,  be  supposed  from  my  grandmother  stating  this, 
that  Captain  Delmar  was  at  all  mercenary  or  stingy ;  on  the 
contrary,  considering  that,  as  the  second  son  of  a  nobleman, 
he  had  only  £1000  per  annum  besides  his  pay,  he  was  ex- 
ceedingly liberal  (although  not  extravagant)  in  all  money 
matters. 

At  last  I  was  well  enough  to  return  to  my  duty ;  and  glad 
I  was  to  be  once  more  walking  the  quarter-deck,  not  as 
before,  on  the  lee,  but  on  the  weather  side,  with  an  epaulet 

237 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

on  my  shoulder.  Strange  to  say,  there  was  not  a  midshipman 
in  the  ship  (although  there  were  so  many)  who  had  served  so 
long  as  I  had,  and  in  consequence  there  was  not  any  heart- 
burning or  jealousy  at  my  promotion,  and  I  continued  on 
the  best  terms  with  my  old  messmates,  although  gradually 
lessening  the  intimacy  which  existed  between  us.  But  that 
was  not  intentional  on  my  part;  it  was  the  effect  of  my 
promotion,  and  removal  from  the  berth  of  a  set  of  lads  to  the 
company  of  the  senior  and  older  officers.  I  was  now  a  man, 
and  had  the  feelings  and  thoughts  of  a  man.  My  frolics  and 
tricks  were  discarded  with  the  midshipman's  coat,  and  in 
respecting  my  new  rank  I  respected  myself. 

Now  that  I  walked  on  the  same  side  of  the  deck,  Captain 
Delmar  veiy  often  entered  into  conversation  with  me ;  and 
although  at  first  it  was  with  caution  on  his  part,  yet,  when 
he  found  that  I  never  presumed,  and  was,  invariably,  most 
respectful,  he  became  on  much  more  intimate  terms  with  me. 

During  three  months  we  continued  cruising  about  without 
falling  in  with  or  having  received  any  intelligence  of  the 
French  frigate  which  we  were  sent  in  quest  of;  at  last 
Captain  Delmar  resolved  to  change  the  cruising  ground,  and 
we  ran  up  to  ten  degrees  of  latitude  further  north. 

As  we  were  running  up,  we  fell  in  with  an  American  brig, 
and  brought  her  to ;  a  boat  was  sent  for  the  captain,  who, 
when  he  came  on  board,  was  interrogated  by  Captain  Delmar, 
as  to  his  having  seen  or  heard  of  any  French  vessel  on  that 
coast.  As  the  conversation  took  place  on  the  quarter-deck, 
and  I  was  officer  of  the  watch,  I  can  repeat  it. 

"Well,"  replied  the  American  through  his  nose,  "I  reckon 
there  is  a  Frenchman  in  these  parts  ?  " 

"  Have  you  fallen  in  with  her  ?  "  inquired  Captain  Delmar. 

"Well,  I  may  say  I  have:  for  I  lay  alongside  of  her  in 
Cartagena  when  I  was  taking  in  my  cargo  of  hides.  You 
haven't  such  a  thing  as  a  spar  as  will  make  me  a  pole  top- 
gallant mast,  captain,  have  you  ?  " 

"  Is  she  large  or  small  ?  " 

"  Well,  captain,  I  don't  care  whether  the  spar  be  large  or 
small;  I've  two  carpenters  on  board,  and  I'll  soon  dub  it 
down  into  shape." 

"  I  inquired  about  the  vessel— I  did  not  refer  to  the  spar," 
replied  Captain  Delmar  haughtily. 

238 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

"  And  I  referred  to  the  spar,  which  is  my  business,  and  not 
to  the  vessel,  which  is  no  consarn  of  mine,"  replied  the 
American  captain.  "You  see,  mister,  we  have  both  our 
wants ;  you  want  information,  I  want  a  spar ;  I  have  no 
objection  to  a  fair  swop." 

"  Well,"  replied  Captain  Delmar,  rather  amused,  "  give  me 
the  information  and  you  shall  have  the  spar." 

"  That's  agreed." 

"  Send  for  the  carpenter,  and  desire  him  to  get  out  a  small 
spar,  Mr. ,"  said  Captain  Delmar  to  the  first  lieutenant. 

"Well,  captain,  that  looks  like  business,  and  so  now  I'll  go 
on.  The  Frenchman  is  as  large  as  you ;  maybe,"  said  he, 
looking  round  the  deck,  "he  may  be  a  bit  larger,  but  you 
won't  mind  that,  I  suppose." 

"  Did  you  leave  her  in  port  when  you  sailed  ?  " 

"  I  reckon  she  was  off  two  days  before  me." 

"  And  how  many  days  is  it  since  you  sailed  ?  " 

"  Just  four  days,  I  calculate." 

"  And  did  you  hear  where  she  was  going  to  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  did,  and  I've  a  notion  I  could  put  my  finger  upon 
her  now,  if  I  choosed.  Captain,  you  haven't  got  a  coil  of  two- 
inch  which  you  could  lend  me — I  ain't  got  a  topsail  brace  to 
reeve,  and  mine  are  very  queer  just  now.  I  reckon  they've  been 
turned  end  for  end  so  often,  that  there's  an  end  of  them." 

"You  say  that  you  know  where  the  vessel  is — where 
is  she  ?  " 

"  Captain,  that's  telling — can't  I  have  the  two-inch  ?  " 

"We  have  not  a  whole  coil  of  two-inch  left,  sir,"  said  the 
master,  touching  his  hat.  "  We  might  spare  him  enough  for 
a  pair  of  new  braces." 

"  Well,  well,  I'm  reasonable  altogether,  and  if  so  be  you 
haven't  got  it,  I  don't  expect  it.  It's  very  odd  now,  but  I 
can't  just  now  remember  the  place  that  the  French  vessel 
was  going  to;  it's  slipped  clean  out  of  my  memory." 

"  Perhaps  the  two-inch  might  help  your  memory,"  replied 
the  captain.  "  Mr.  Smith,  let  the  rope  be  got  up  and  put  into 
the  boat." 

"Well,"  said  the  American  captain,  "as  you  say,  mister,  it 
may  help  my  memory.  It's  not  the  first  time  that  I've  freshened 
a  man's  memory  with  a  bit  of  two-inch  myself,"  continued  he, 
grinning  at  his  own  joke  ;  "  but  I  don't  see  it  coming." 

239 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

"  I  have  ordered  it  to  be  put  in  the  boat,"  replied  Captain 
Delmar  haughtily ;  "  my  orders  are  not  disobeyed,  nor  is  my 
word  doubted." 

"  Not  by  them  as  knows  you,  I  dare  say,  captain,  but  you're 
a  stranger  to  me ;  I  don't  think  I  ask  much,  after  all — a  bit 
of  spar  and  a  bit  of  rope— just  to  tell  you  where  you  may  go 
and  take  a  fine  vessel,  and  pocket  a  'nation  lot  of  dollars  as 
prize-money.  Well,  there's  the  rope,  and  now  I'll  tell  you. 
She  was  going  off  Berbice  or  Surinam,  to  look  after  the 
West  Indiamen  who  were  on  the  coast,  or  expected  on  it,  I 
don't  know  which.  There  you'll  find  her,  as  sure  as  I  stand 
here ;  but  I  think  that  she  is  a  bit  bigger  than  this  vessel — 
you  don't  mind  that,  I  dare  say." 

"  You  may  go  on  board  now,  sir,"  said  Captain  Delmar. 

"Well,  thank  ye,  captain,  and  good  luck  to  you." 

The  American  captain  went  down  the  side  ;  and  as  soon  as 
our  boat  returned,  and  was  hoisted  up,  we  made  all  sail  for 
the  coast  of  Demerara. 

"  She  must  be  a  fine  vessel,"  said  Captain  Delmar  to  me,  as 
he  was  walking  the  deck, — "  a  very  fine  vessel  if  she  is  bigger 
than  we  are." 

"  You  will  excuse  me,  Captain  Delmar,  if  I  venture  to  ob- 
serve that  there  was  an  expression  in  the  eye  of  the  American 
when  he  said  a  bit  bigger,  which  made  me  take  into  my  head, 
that  in  saying  so,  he  was  only  deceiving  us.  The  Americans 
are  not  very  partial  to  us,  and  would  be  glad  of  any  revenge." 

"  That  may  be,  Mr.  Keene ;  but  I  do  not  see  that  he  can 
be  deceiving  us,  by  making  her  out  to  be  larger,  as  it  is 
putting  us  on  our  guard.  Had  he  said  that  she  was  smaller, 
it  would  then  have  been  deceiving  us." 

"  I  did  not  take  it  in  that  sense,  sir,"  replied  I.  "  He  said 
a  bit  bigger;  now,  I  can't  help  thinking  that  a  bit  bigger  was 
meant  to  deceive  us,  and  that  it  will  prove  that  the  French- 
man is  a  line-of-battle  ship,  and  not  a  frigate ;  he  wished  to 
leave  us  under  the  impression  that  it  was  a  larger  frigate  than 
our  own,  and  no  more." 

"  It  may  be  so,"  replied  Captain  Delmar  thoughtfully  ;  "at 
all  events,  Mr.  Keene,  I  am  obliged  to  you  for  the  suggestion." 

The  captain  took  two  or  three  more  turns  fore  and  aft  in 
silence,  and  then  quitted  the  deck, 

240 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 


CHAPTER  XXII 

AN  three  days  we  had  gained  the  latitude  of  Berbice,  and  on 
the  fourth  morning  the  men  at  the  mast-head  were  keeping  a 
sharp  look-out  for  any  strange  sail.  Our  head  was  then  to- 
wards the  land,  which,  being  very  low,  could  not  be  seen ; 
the  breeze  was  light,  the  royals  had  been  set,  and  the  men 
piped  down  to  breakfast,  when  the  masthead-man  reported 
three  sail  right  ahead.  We  soon  made  them  out  to  be 
merchant  vessels,  and  as  they  separated,  and  made  all  sail 
from  us,  we  made  sure  that  they  had  been  captured ;  and  so 
it  proved  when  we  took  possession  of  them,  which  we  did  not 
do  of  the  third  before  nightfall. 

Upon  interrogating  the  prisoners  and  the  few  English  who 
had  been  left  on  board  the  prizes,  we  found  out  that  I  had 
been  right  in  my  conjecture ;  they  had  been  captured  by  a 
French  line-of-battle  ship,  which  they  had  left  in-shore  the 
evening  before.  The  English  reported  her  a  very  fast  sailer, 
and  believed  her  to  be  an  eighty-gun  ship — indeed,  the 
French  prisoners  acknowledged  that  such  was  the  case. 

This  was  very  important  intelligence,  and  Captain  Delmar 
walked  up  and  down  deck  in  deep  thought :  the  fact  was,  he 
was  puzzled  how  to  act.  To  attempt  to  cope  with  such  a  force, 
unless  under  peculiarly  favourable  circumstances,  would  be 
madness :  to  leave  the  coast  and  our  mercantile  navy  exposed 
to  her  depredations,  was  at  the  same  time  veiy  repulsive  to 
his  feelings  and  sense  of  duty.  The  prizes  had  been  manned, 
the  prisoners  were  on  board,  the  boats  hoisted  up,  and  the 
Manilla  still  remained  hove  to.  The  fact  was  the  captain  did 
not  know  which  way  to  put  the  ship's  head ;  and  he  walked 
up  and  down  in  deep  thought. 

"  Mr.  Keene,  is  it  your  watch  ?  " 

"No,  sir." 

"Oblige  me  by  telling  the  master  to  work  up  the  reckon- 
ing ;  I  wish  to  know  exactly  where  we  are." 

"  It  is  done  already,  sir,"  replied  I,  "  and  pricked  off  on 
the  chart — I  have  just  left  the  gun-room." 

"Then,  Mr.  Keene,  bring  the  chart  into  my  cabin."  I 

241  Q 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

followed  into  the  cabin  with  the  chart,  which  I  laid  down 
on  the  table,  and  pointed  out  the  position  of  the  ship. 

"You  were  right  in  your  supposition,  Mr.  Keene,"  said  the 
captain;  "and  really  this  vessel  turning  out  to  be  a  line-of- 
battle  ship  has  put  me  in  a  very  awkward  predicament — I 
really  am  puzzled.  Fighting  is  of  no  use,  and  yet  run  away 
I  will  not,  if  I  can  possibly  help  it." 

Now,  I  had  been  studying  the  chart,  and  had  made  up  my 
own  mind  how  I  should  have  acted  under  the  circumstances, 
had  I  been  in  Captain  Delmar's  position.  The  great  point 
was  to  give  him  my  ideas,  without  appearing  to  offer  advice  ; 
I  therefore  replied,  "We  have  one  advantage,  at  all  events, 
sir,  we  have  been  cruising  so  long  that  we  are  flying  light — 
I  don't  think  we  draw  sixteen  feet  water." 

"  Yes,  that  may  give  us  the  heels  of  her  in  light  winds, 
certainly,"  replied  the  captain. 

"  I  think  she  cannot  draw  less  than  twenty-six  or  twenty- 
seven  feet  of  water,  sir,"  continued  I,  to  put  him  on  the  right 
scent,  "which,  on  this  coast,  will  be  a  great  advantage.  I 
think,  sir,  when  I  was  down  below,  I  measured  from  soundings 
to  soundings,  and  the  water  is  so  shallow,  and  deepens  so 
gradually,  that  there  is  a  distance  of  four  miles  between 
seventeen  feet  and  twenty-eight  feet  water." 

I  took  up  the  compass,  so  as  to  take  in  the  two  soundings 
laid  down  in  the  chart,  and  then  measuring  the  distance, 
showed  that  my  assertion  was  true.  The  captain  said  nothing 
for  a  little  while.  At  last  I  perceived  a  smile  on  his  lips. 
"Tell  the  officer  of  the  watch  to  lower  down  the  cutter,  Mr. 
Keene.  Go  on  board  of  the  prizes,  and  tell  them,  in  addition 
to  their  present  orders  to  follow  us,  that  in  case  of  an  enemy, 
they  are  to  run  as  close  in-shore  as  the  water  will  allow  them, 
and  drop  their  anchors." 

"Ay,  ay,  sir,"  replied  I,  leaving  the  cabin. 

This  order  satisfied  me  that  the  captain  perceived  what  I 
would  suggest,  which  was,  that  if  we  once  got  in-shore  and 
in  shallow  water,  we  might  laugh  at  the  line-of-battle  ship, 
which,  in  all  probability,  would  not  be  able  to  get  near 
enough  to  reach  us  with  her  guns  ;  or  if  she  attempted  it,  she 
would  run  on  shore,  and  then  we  should  have  the  best  of  it. 

As  soon  as  I  had  given  the  orders  to  the  prize-masters,  and 
returned  on  board,  the  boat  was  hoisted  up,  and  all  sail  made 

242 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

for  the  land.  At  twelve  o'clock  we  sounded,  and  found  our- 
selves in  nine  fathoms  of  water,  by  which  we  calculated  we 
were  about  thirty  miles  from  the  land.  I  hardly  need  say 
that  a  most  careful  look-out  was  kept  up  that  we  might  not 
fall  in  with  our  formidable  adversary. 

At  one  o'clock  the  moon  rose,  and  I,  having  the  middle 
watch,  surveyed  the  horizon  on  every  side,  but  without  dis- 
covering the  enemy ;  but  at  half-past  three  the  day  dawned, 
and  before  my  watch  was  over  it  was  broad  daylight ;  and 
then,  just  as  I  was  going  down,  having  been  relieved  by  the 
second  lieutenant,  a  strange  sail  was  reported  about  eight 
miles  to  leeward,  two  points  before  the  beam. 

The  second  lieutenant  hastened  down  to  the  cabin  to 
report  to  the  captain,  and  I  went  up  to  the  mast-head  to 
make  her  out,  and  I  soon  discovered  that  she  was  a  line-of- 
battle  ship ;  I  immediately  descended,  and  reported  to  the 
captain,  who  had  come  on  deck.  As  we  could  distinguish  the 
masts  and  sails  of  the  enemy  very  well  from  the  deck,  the 
glasses  were  fixed  upon  her  at  the  gangway,  and  she  was  seen 
to  set  her  royals  and  flying  jib  in  chase  of  us ;  but  we  felt 
that  we  were  safe,  as  we  should  be  in  shallow  water  long 
before  she  could  beat  up  to  us.  All  we  had  to  fear  for  was 
the  merchant  vessels  which  we  had  retaken,  and  which  were 
two  or  three  miles  astern  of  us,  with  all  the  sail  that  they 
could  carry. 

It  was  a  five-knot  breeze,  and  the  water  quite  smooth, 
which  was  very  favourable  for  the  line-of-battle  ship  and 
ourselves,  but  not  for  the  merchant  vessels,  which,  with  their 
cargoes,  required  more  wind  to  propel  them  through  the 
water.  The  state  of  affairs  when  the  hands  were  piped  to 
breakfast  was  as  follows  : 

The  French  line-of-battle  ship  had  stood  in  for  the  land, 
under  all  sail,  until  half-past  seven,  being  then,  as  she  was 
when  we  first  saw  her,  exactly  two  points  before  the  beam, 
when,  probably  being  in  shoal  water,  she  had  tacked,  and 
was  now  a  little  abaft  our  beam  and  lying  pretty  well  up, 
for  the  merchant  vessel  the  furthest  astern  of  us.  Since 
she  had  tacked  she  had  risen  her  hull  out  of  water,  so  as  to 
show  her  upper  tier  of  guns.  Two  of  the  merchant  vessels 
were  about  three  miles  astern  of  us  ;  the  other  one  five,  and 
stood  a  fair  chance  of  being  cut  off;  the  more  so,  because 

243 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

when  we  discovered  the  enemy,  we  were  standing  about  two 
points  free,  right  for  the  coast;  whereas,  upon  her  hauling 
her  wind  in  chase,  we  of  course  did  the  same,  which  made 
us  approach  the  shallow  water  in  a  more  slanting  direction, 
and  consequently  not  get  in  quite  so  soon.  We  were  now  in 
seven  fathoms  of  water,  and,  by  our  pricking  off  on  the  chart, 
about  eleven  miles  from  land,  which  was  so  low  as  to  be 
barely  visible  from  the  mast-head.  The  men  were  allowed 
an  hour  to  their  breakfast,  and  then  we  beat  to  quarters. 
The  captain  did  not,  however,  put  out  the  fires,  so  as  to 
prevent  the  ship's  company's  dinner  being  cooked,  as  every- 
thing was  ready,  and  the  magazines  could  be  opened  in 
a  minute. 

At  ten  o'clock  we  had  drawn  into  six  fathoms  of  water ; 
the  Frenchman  was  now  nearly  astern  of  us,  still  on  the 
opposite  tack,  and  passing  about  three  miles  to  leeward  of 
the  merchant  vessel  which  lagged  most  behind.  It  was 
now  considered  certain  that  she  would  recaptm*e  this  vessel, 
which  was  at  least  seven  miles  astern  of  us,  and  not  im- 
possible that  she  might  take  one,  if  not  both  of  the  others, 
as  it  was  evident  that  she  was  a  prime  sailer,  as  fast  almost 
as  our  own  ship. 

At  a  quarter-past  ten  the  French  line-of-battle  ship  tacked, 
and  stood  right  after  us  in  our  wake,  being  now  hull  down 
about  twelve  miles  from  us. 

"  He'll  soon  have  the  starnmost  vessel,  Mr.  Keene,"  said 
Bob  Cross  to  me.  "  Mr.  Dott  has  charge  of  her ;  he  is  al- 
ways in  some  scrape  or  other." 

"  Yes,"  replied  I ;  "  but  he  gets  out  of  them,  and  I  dare 
say  he  will  out  of  this." 

"  Helm  up  there,  quartermaster — flatten  in  forward." 

"  The  wind's  heading  us,  sir,"  said  the  master ;  "  she's  full 
again  now.  Thus,  boy,  and  nothing  off." 

"  She  has  broken  off  two  points,  sir." 

"  All  the  better/'  replied  the  captain ;  « it's  a  squeak  for 
Mr.  Dott." 

In  a  few  minutes  we  perceived  that  the  other  vessel  had 
met  the  change  in  the  wind,  and  had  broken  off,  as  well  as 
ourselves.  The  Frenchman  did  not  now  lay  up  for  the 
merchant  vessel  as  she  did  before,  and  the  latter  had  some 
chance  of  escape.  It  was  very  exciting;  for  as  the  time 

244 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

drew  nearer  to  noon  the  wind  became  more  light  and  more 
variable,  and  at  one  time  all  the  vessels  broke  off  another 
point ;  shortly  afterwards  the  wind  flew  back  again  to  the 
point  which  it  at  first  blew  from,  and  the  enemy  lay  once 
more  right  up  for  the  merchant  vessels.  The  French  line-of- 
battle  ship  was  still  about  four  miles  astern  of  the  merchant 
vessel  nearest  to  her. 

"  I  think  we  shall  have  a  calm  soon,"  observed  Captain 
Delmar.  "  Square  the  mainyard  ;  we  may  as  well  be  nearer 
to  her  as  not,  now ;  for  if  it  falls  calm  she  will  recapture 
them  with  her  boats,  and  we  shall  be  too  far  to  give  any 
assistance.  Get  the  yard-tackles  up  ;  all  ready,  Mr. ?  " 

"Ay,  ay,  sir,"  replied  the  first  lieutenant. 

"  Pipe  the  boat's  crew  away,  and  let  them  get  their  guns 
and  ammunition  on  the  gangway." 

It  was  about  a  quarter  to  eleven  when  we  hove-to,  the 
breeze  still  continuing  variable  and  light,  and  the  French 
line-of-battle  ship  did  not  come  up  so  fast  as  before.  We 
sounded  after  we  hove-to,  and  found  that  we  were  in  five  and 
a  half  fathoms  of  water. 

At  twelve  o'clock,  in  consequence  of  our  having  hove-to, 
the  relative  positions  of  the  vessels  were  as  follows :  The 
two  merchant  vessels,  which  had  been  about  four  miles 
astern  of  us,  were  now  alongside  of  us ;  the  third  was  about 
three  miles  astern  of  us,  and  the  Frenchman  was  about  the 
same  distance  astern  of  her ;  so  that  our  frigate  was  about 
six  miles  from  the  French  line-of-battle  ship. 

Captain  Delmar  had  given  orders  to  pipe  to  dinner  at 
seven  bells  (half-past  eleven  o'clock) ;  that  in  case  the  boats 
were  required  the  men  might  have  dined  before  they  were 
sent  away.  A  few  minutes  after  twelve  o'clock  it  fell  a  dead 
calm ;  the  hands  were  turned  up,  the  boats  hoisted  out  and 
lowered  down,  the  guns  and  ammunition  put  in  them,  and 
everything  in  readiness;  we  keeping  our  glasses  upon  the 
enemy,  and  watching  her  manreuvring,  which,  at  the  distance 
we  were,  was  now  easily  to  be  distinguished.  Captain 
Delmar  was  aware  that  he  ran  some  risk  in  sending  his  boats 
away,  for  it  might  so  happen  that  a  breeze  might  spring  up 
from  the  seaward,  and  the  enemy  have  the  advantage  of  it 
long  before  us  ;  if  so,  it  might  bring  her  up  to  the  vessel 
astern,  and  the  boats  be  captured — indeed  it  might  bring 

245 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

her  up  nearly  alongside  of  us  before  we  caught  the  wind. 
It  was  necessary,  therefore,  to  be  very  cautious,  and  not  send 
the  boats  away  till  the  last  moment — that  is,  before  we  saw 
the  French  ship  hoisting  out  or  lowering  down  her  own. 
That  the  Frenchmen  knew  that  our  boats  had  been  hoisted 
out,  could  not  be  doubted,  as  their  eyes  were  quite  as  sharp 
as  ours.  They,  however,  tried  to  double  us ;  for  all  of  a 
sudden,  as  I  had  my  glass  upon  the  French  ship,  I  perceived 
three  boats  coming  round  her  quarter  and  pulling  right  for 
the  merchant  vessel ;  the  fact  was,  that  she  had  lowered 
down  her  stern  and  quarter  boats  to  leeward,  which  we  could 
not  perceive.  I  reported  this  immediately  to  the  captain, 
who  ordered  the  boats'  crews  to  be  piped  away. 

"  Who  is  to  command  the  boats,  sir  ? "  said  the  first  lieu- 
tenant. 

"Mr.  Keene,"  said  the  captain.  "Mr.  Keene,  I  wish  to 
speak  with  you  before  you  go." 

Ciptain  Delmar  then  walked  to  the  capstern,  and  in  few 
words  pointed  out  what  I  have  just  stated  as  the  difficulty 
which  might  occur,  and  the  chances  of  capture. 

"  You  understand  me,  Mr.  Keene  ?  " 

"  Perfectly,  sir,"  replied  I. 

"Well,  then,  I  trust  to  your  discretion,  Mr.  Keene,  and 
I  hope  I  shall  not  be  disappointed.  Now  you  may  go." 

"The  French  ship  is  getting  up  her  yard-tackles,"  said  the 
signalman. 

"  Then  you  have  no  time  to  lose,  Mr.  Keene.  As  for  the 
small  boats,  they  are  of  no  consequence." 

I  went  down  the  side  and  shoved  off.  Our  men  gave  way 
cheerfully  and  manfully,  and  the  three  boats  of  the  French- 
man had  but  a  little  start  of  us.  In  half-an-hour  we  were 
both  within  less  than  a  mile  of  the  merchant  vessel,  but 
the  French  boats  were  the  nearer  of  the  two.  The  affair 
became  now  very  exciting.  In  another  ten  minutes  the 
French  boats  had  gained  the  merchant  vessel,  and  the  men 
were  clambering  up  her  sides,  while  we  were  not  more  than 
three  cables'  length  from  them.  That  Tommy  Dott  was 
defending  himself,  was  to  be  presumed,  as  a  good  deal  of 
firing  took  place ;  but  before  we  could  get  alongside,  it  was 
evident  that  he  and  his  men  had  been  mastered,  and  the 
French  were  in  possession  of  the  vessel.  But  now  our  turn 

246 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

came.  Dividing  my  boats,  six  in  number,  into  two  divisions, 
we  boarded  on  both  sides,  and  very  soon  had  regained  the 
vessel  and  mastered  the  French,  who  did  not  amount  to 
more  than  thirty  -  five  men,  while  we  had  more  than 
seventy. 

We  found  that  the  Frenchmen  had  not  spared  our  people 
on  board  of  the  vessel,  all  of  them  being  wounded  or  killed  ; 
but  the  fact  was  that  Tommy  Dott  had  fought  most  nobly, 
and  resisted  to  the  very  last.  He  himself — poor  fellow  ! — 
lay  against  the  capstern  with  his  head  cut  open  by  a  blow 
of  a  cutlass,  and  quite  insensible.  As  soon  as  we  had  secured 
the  prisoners,  I  turned  my  eyes  to  the  line-of-battle  ship, 
and  saw  that  her  large  boats  had  shoved  off;  they  were 
five  in  number,  but  much  larger,  and  holding  more  men 
than  we  had. 

A  little  reflection  decided  me  that  we  should  have  a  better 
chance  of  resisting  them  on  board  of  the  vessel  than  in  the 
boats,  and  I  determined  that  I  would  get  my  boats'  guns 
up  on  board  of  the  vessel,  aud  arm  her  in  that  way.  It  was 
necessary,  however,  to  secure  our  boats,  that  they  might  not 
cut  them  away  from  alongside ;  I  therefore,  as  soon  as  the 
guns  and  ammunition  were  on  board,  lowered  the  iron- chain 
cable  down  from  the  bows,  and  passed  it  from  one  boat  to 
the  other  under  the  fixed  thwarts  of  each  boat,  including 
those  captured  from  the  French,  hauling  the  end  of  the 
cable  on  board  again  through  the  stern-port.  We  had 
plenty  of  time  to  do  this,  and  make  any  other  preparation 
on  board,  before  the  French  boats  arrived. 

It  was  a  dead  calm ;  the  sea  was  like  a  mirror,  and  the 
advancing  boats,  as  their  oars  rose  and  fell  in  the  water,  gave 
you  the  idea  of  creatures  possessed  of  life  and  volition  as  they 
rapidly  forced  their  way  through  the  yielding  fluid.  The 
vessel's  stern  was  towards  the  line-of-battle  ship,  and  the 
boats  were  pulling  up  a  little  on  the  starboard  quarter.  The 
guns,  which  I  had  hoisted  on  board,  had,  for  want  of  any 
other  means,  been  sufficiently  secured  by  ropes  to  the  slides 
and  breechings  to  enable  us  to  fire  them  with  effect.  When 
the  boats  were  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  us  we  opened 
our  fire ;  not  that  we  expected  much  from  our  guns,  as  we 
knew  we  could  not  obtain  more  than  two  good  shots  at  the 
boats  before  they  were  alongside,  still  there  was  a  chance  of 

247 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

hitting  and  disabling  them,  and  no  chance  was  to  be  thrown 
away. 

Our  first  shot  was  successful;  it  struck  one  of  the  pinnaces, 
and  she  swamped  immediately.  Our  men  cheered,  while  the 
other  French  boats  pulled  to  it  and  took  up  the  men  who 
were  floating  in  the  water.  Before  they  could  effect  this 
another  gun  was  fired  with  grape  and  round,  which  apparently 
did  some  execution,  as  there  appeared  to  be  much  confusion 
on  board  of  the  two  boats  that  had  gone  to  the  assistance 
of  their  comrades.  We  now  fully  expected  the  boats  to  ad- 
vance;  on  the  contrary,  they  spread  out  on  each  quarter, 
and  opened  their  fire  upon  us  with  their  guns — a  very  foolish 
act  on  their  part,  as  it  gave  us  every  advantage ;  for  they 
were  far  superior  to  us  in  number  of  men,  and  should  have 
boarded  us  at  once,  instead  of  risking  the  loss  of  more  of 
their  boats.  So  little  did  we  expect  this,  that  at  one  time 
I  was  debating  whether  I  should  not  leave  the  guns  in  the 
boats  alongside,  instead  of  getting  them  on  board,  that  there 
might  be  no  delay  in  case  wind  sprang  up,  and  it  were 
necessary  that  we  should  be  off;  of  course,  as  it  was,  I  was 
very  glad  that  I  had  decided  otherwise. 

The  act4on,  if  it  may  be  so  termed,  now  continued  for  about 
half-an-hour  without  any  great  casualty  on  either  side ;  we 
had  five  or  six  men  wounded  on  board  of  the  vessel,  but  none 
killed.  I  had  occasionally  looked  round  to  see  if  there  was 
any  appearance  of  wind,  and  just  about  this  time  I  perceived 
a  black  line  in  the  offing,  which  promised  not  only  wind,  but 
wind  from  the  very  quarter  which  would  be  most  disastrous  to 
us,  and  I  began  to  feel  very  anxious,  when  I  heard  a  bugle 
sounded  from  the  largest  French  boat.  This  was  the  signal 
to  advance,  and  I  was  very  glad,  as  the  affair  would  now  be 
soon  decided. 

As  all  our  boats  were  secured  on  the  starboard  side  of  the 
vessel,  the  Frenchmen  did  not  attempt  to  board  on  that  side, 
as  in  so  doing  it  would  have  been  at  a  double  disadvantage  ; 
they  had  therefore  no  alternative  but  to  board  all  together  on 
the  larboard  side.  Two  of  the  boats'  guns  had  been  fixed 
on  that  side — double  shotted  and  depressed,  so  as  to  be  fired 
at  the  moment  one  of  the  boats  should  pass  beneath  them ; 
they  were  both  fired  at  the  leading  boat,  the  launch,  which 
was  very  large  and  full  of  men,  and  the  shot  went  through 

248 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

her  bottom.  This  did  not  prevent  her  coming  alongside ; 
but  she  filled  and  sank  almost  immediately  afterwards,  while 
the  men  were  climbing  up  the  sides  of  the  vessel.  The 
sinking  of  this  boat  prevented  the  men  of  the  other  boats 
outside  of  her  from  supporting  their  companions,  and  we 
had  therefore  only  to  meet  the  force  of  the  launch  and  the 
two  other  boats  which  had  come  alongside  ahead  of  her,  and 
which  was  in  number  not  equal  to  our  own. 

We  always  had  an  idea  that  the  French  would  never  do 
much  in  the  way  of  boarding,  and  so  it  proved ;  they  were 
beat  down  as  fast  as  they  made  their  appearance  above  the 
bulwarks.  The  French  lieutenant  was  attempting  to  get 
over  the  gunwale  :  he  was  unsupported,  as  almost  all  his  men 
had  tumbled  back  into  the  sea.  Instead  of  cutting  him  down, 
I  caught  him  by  the  collar,  and  hauled  him  on  board,  and  as 
soon  as  he  was  disarmed,  gave  him  in  charge  of  a  marine.  In 
ten  minutes  all  was  over  ;  two  of  the  French  boats  remained 
alongside,  and  the  others  shoved  off,  half  manned,  and  dropped 
astern.  We  gave  them  three  cheers  as  a  parting  salutation  ; 
but  we  had  no  time  to  lose — the  wind  was  evidently  springing 
up  fast,  already  cats'-paws  were  to  be  seen  here  and  there 
rippling  the  water,  and  the  line  on  the  horizon  was  now  dark 
and  broad.  I  ordered  our  boats  to  be  ready  for  starting,  the 
guns  to  be  got  in,  and  the  wounded  men  divided  among  them 
as  fast  as  possible.  The  two  large  French  boats  which  re- 
mained on  the  starboard  side  we  cleared  of  the  men  who  lay 
in  them,  and  then  had  their  bottoms  beat  out  to  sink  them. 
The  French  lieutenant  and  two  other  officers  I  ordered  into 
our  own  boats,  to  take  on  board  as  prisoners  ;  the  rest  of  the 
French  who  had  been  captured,  with  their  wounded,  we  put 
into  the  three  small  French  boats  which  had  been  captured 
in  the  first  attack,  taking  away  their  oars,  that,  when  I  shoved 
off,  and  left  the  vessel,  they  might  drift  about  till  they  were 
picked  up  by  the  French  ship. 

Everything  being  in  readiness,  I  had  now  to  decide  what  I 
should  do  with  the  merchant  vessel.  The  wind  coming  up  so 
fast  from  the  seaward,  gave  her  no  chance  of  escape,  and  I 
decided  that  I  would  set  her  on  fire.  Having  so  done  in 
three  different  parts,  to  insure  her  destruction,  I  then  shoved 
off  with  our  boats,  having  first  pushed  off  the  Frenchmen 
in  their  boats  without  oars,  and  wished  them  good-bye  ; 

249 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

they  certainly  did  look  very  foolish,  and  anything  but 
pleased. 

As  we  pulled  for  the  frigate,  I  perceived  that  the  line-of- 
battle  ship's  sails  were  filling,  and  that  it  was  touch-and-go 
with  us ;  but  I  also  knew  that  she  could  not  leave  her  boats, 
and  that  it  would  take  some  time  to  pick  them  up ;  two  were 
half  manned,  and  pulling  towards  her ;  the  other  three  were 
without  oars,  and  must  be  picked  up  by  the  other  boats ; 
all  of  which  would  occasion  delay.  Notwithstanding,  we 
pulled  as  hard  as  we  could,  and  were  half-way  back  before 
the  breeze  was  sufficiently  steady  to  enable  the  line-of-battle 
ship  to  make  much  progress  through  the  water.  Of  course 
we  could  not  see  what  was  going  on  when  we  had  pulled 
away  in  the  boats  and  were  at  a  distance;  all  we  could  see 
was  that  the  French  line-of-battle  ship  was  not  yet  in  chase, 
from  which  we  presumed  that  she  had  not  yet  picked  up  her 
boats.  In  the  meantime  the  merchant  vessel  burnt  furiously, 
and  the  columns  of  smoke  very  often  hid  the  enemy  from 
our  view. 

Before  we  arrived  on  board  the  breeze  had  passed  us  and 
caught  the  sails  of  our  frigate  and  the  two  merchant  vessels, 
so  that  we  were  more  easy  on  that  score.  Captain  Delmar 
had  been  very  anxious ;  the  yards,  tackles,  and  stays,  and 
the  tackles  for  hoisting  up  the  quarter-boats,  were  already 
hanging  down  as  we  pulled  alongside,  and  "all  hands  in 
boats"  was  piped  before  we  could  get  up  the  gangway. 
There  was  no  time  to  be  lost ;  the  French  line-of-battle  ship 
had  picked  up  her  boats  and  was  now  in  chase,  with  stud- 
ding-sails below  and  abaft.  The  two  merchant  vessels  had 
made  all  sail  and  were  running  in-shore  ahead  of  us.  1 
touched  my  hat  to  the  captain,  and  said,  "  Come  on  board, 
sir ;  snail  I  see  the  quarter-boats  hoisted  up  ?  " 

"  If  you  please,  Mr.  Keene,"  replied  he. 

The  fact  was,  it  was  very  easy  to  tell  my  story  after  the 
boats  were  up,  and  sail  made  upon  the  frigate,  and  I  knew 
there  was  no  time  for  talking. 

I  never  witnessed  such  rapidity  as  was  shown  on  this 
occasion;  in  less  than  five  minutes  all  the  boats  were  on 
board,  and  all  sail  made.  I  looked  at  the  French  line-of- 
battle  ship ;  she  was  within  four  miles  of  us,  and  bringing  up 
a  very  steady  breeze.  But  we  were  now  drawing  through 

250 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

the  water,  and  as  the  recaptured  vessels  were  three  miles 
ahead  of  us,  there  was  nothing  to  fear.  Captain  Delmar 
came  aft  to  look  at  the  Frenchman,  who  had  already  passed 
by  the  vessel  which  I  had  set  on  fire. 

"Now,  then,  Mr.  Keene,"  said  he,  "we  will  know  what 
has  taken  place.  Of  course  we  have  seen  most  of  it." 

I  narrated  what  the  reader  already  knows. 

"  What  do  you  suppose  to  have  been  the  loss  ?  " 

"  I  should  say  three  boats  and  about  forty  men,  sir.  I 
forgot,  sir,  to  tell  you  that  we  have  a  lieutenant  and  two 
officers  prisoners,  whom  I  brought  on  board  with  me." 

"Desire  them  to  be  brought  on  deck,"  said  the  captain. 
"  Mr.  Keene,  you  have  done  your  work  well — with  great 
gallantry  and  great  judgment." 

I  touched  my  hat,  not  a  little  pleased  at  such  a  compli- 
ment from  Captain  Delmar. 

"  What's  the  last  soundings,  Mr.  Smith  ? "  inquired  the 
captain. 

"  And  a  quarter  four,  sir,"  said  the  master. 

"This  chase  won't  last  long,"  observed  the  captain. 
"Take  in  the  lower  studding-sail." 

The  French  lieutenant  was  then  questioned ;  but,  with 
the  exception  of  the  name  of  the  ship  and  captain,  there  was 
little  to  be  expected  from  him,  and  he  was  dismissed  and 
sent  below. 

This  affair,  however,  was  not  without  loss  on  our  side 
(principally  arising  from  Tommy  Dott's  stout  defence).  We 
had  two  men  killed,  and  we  had  altogether  fourteen  men 
wounded — some  of  them  very  severely.  My  friend  Tommy 
Dott  came  on  board  a  miserable  object,  his  face  and  hair 
matted  with  blood  ;  but  when  it  was  washed  away  he  proved 
to  be  not  so  much  hurt  as  was  supposed ;  the  cut  was  severe, 
but  the  bones  were  not  injured.  He  was  very  soon  out  of 
his  hammock  again,  and  his  chief  pleasure  was  to  put  his 
tongue  in  his  cheek  and  make  faces  at  the  French  lieutenant, 
who  at  last  became  so  annoyed  that  he  complained  to 
Captain  Delmar,  who  ordered  Mr.  Tommy  to  leave  off  these 
expressions  of  national  animosity  if  he  had  any  wish  to  obtain 
his  promotion.  But  to  return. 

As  the  breeze  freshened,  and  the  French  ship  had  the  first 
of  it  she  rapidly  gained  upon  us,  and  in  an  hour  and  a  half 

251 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

was  about  three  miles  from  us.  We  had  now  shoaled  our 
water  to  three  fathoms  and  a  half,  which  was  quite  near 
enough  to  the  ground,  as  it  left  but  four  feet  between  our 
keel  and  the  bottom;  the  studding-sails  were  taken  in  and 
we  ranged  the  cable.  A  few  minutes  afterwards  the  French 
line-of-battle  ship  was  seen  to  shorten  sail  and  haul  to  the 
wind ;  she  had  followed  us  into  as  shoal  water  as  she  dared 
to  venture  in,  and  as  she  rounded-to,  out  of  spite,  I  presume, 
she  fired  a  gun.  The  evening  was  now  closing  in,  and  as 
there  was  every  appearance  of  fine  weather,  we  stood  out 
till  we  were  again  in  four  fathoms,  and  then  dropped  our 
anchor. 

The  next  morning,  when  the  day  broke,  the  French  line- 
of-battle  ship  was  in  the  offing  about  eight  miles  distant.  It 
may  easily  be  imagined  that  the  French  were  very  much 
annoyed  at  what  had  taken  place ;  their  prizes  recaptured, 
three  boats  lost,  and  their  ship's  company  weakened,  and  all 
by  an  inferior  force  close  to  them,  and  without  any  prospect 
of  their  having  any  revenge.  But  we,  on  the  other  hand, 
were  not  very  pleasantly  situated.  It  is  true  that  we  were 
safe,  but,  at  the  same  time,  we  were  in  prison,  and  could  not 
hope  for  escape,  unless  some  vessel  came  down  to  our  assist- 
ance ;  and  how  long  we  might  be  compelled  to  remain  where 
we  were,  or  what  the  chapter  of  accidents  might  bring  about, 
no  one  could  foresee. 

About  eight  o'clock  the  French  ship  again  stood  in,  and 
when  as  close  as  she  dare  come  to  us,  she  ran  up  and  down, 
trying  for  deeper  water  on  one  side  or  the  other,  but  in  vain. 
She  was  within  gun-shot  of  us,  it  is  true,  as  we  had  run  out 
into  four  fathoms  ;  but  we  could  always  trip  our  anchor  when 
we  pleased  and  stand  further  in.  At  last  she  tried  a  shot  at 
us,  and  it  fell  very  close.  Captain  Delmar  did  not,  however, 
get  under  way  and  stand  further  in,  although  he  ordered  the 
capstern  bars  to  be  shipped,  and  the  messenger  passed.  A 
second  and  third  shot  were  fired,  and  one  went  over  us.  At 
last  the  Frenchman  anchored,  and  set  to  work  in  good  earnest. 
He  found  that  he  was  within  range,  and  as  we  did  not  move, 
presumed  that  we  were  in  as  shallow  water  as  we  could 
run  into. 

As  the  wind  was  still  to  seaward,  we  laid  head  on  to  him, 
and  one  of  his  shots  struck  us  in  the  forefoot ;  Captain  Delmar 

252 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

then  ordered  the  cable  to  be  hove-in  and  the  anchor  tripped, 
by  which  means  we  drifted  in-shore,  and  increased  our 
distance  without  his  being  aware  of  it,  and  his  firing  still  con- 
tinued, but  without  injury  to  us.  The  reason  for  Captain 
Delmar's  doing  this  was  evident ;  he  wished  the  French  ship 
to  continue  firing,  as  the  report  of  her  guns  might  be  heard, 
and  bring  down  some  to  our  assistance.  At  all  events,  such 
was  not  our  good  fortune  on  the  first  day,  and  I  began  to  be 
tired  of  our  situation.  So  did  Captain  Delmar ;  for  on  the 
second  day  he  sent  a  boat  to  the  recaptured  vessels,  which 
were  at  anchor  in-shore  of  us,  directing  them  to  heave-up 
as  soon  as  it  was  dark,  and  make  the  best  of  their  way  to 
Barbadoes,  keeping  well  in-shore  till  they  got  more  to  the 
northward ;  this  they  did,  and  the  following  morning  they 
were  not  in  sight. 

The  French  ship  still  remained  at  anchor,  and  it  appeared 
that  she  had  been  lightening  so  as  to  get  further  in ;  for  on 
that  morning  she  weighed,  and  stood  in  to  a  mile  and  a  half 
of  us,  and  we  were  obliged  to  do  the  same,  and  run  in-shore 
out  of  his  reach.  To  effect  this,  we  anchored  in  three  and  a 
quarter  fathoms,  so  that  we  actually  stirred  up  the  mud.  To- 
wards the  evening  the  wind  fortunately  shifted  to  off  shore, 
and  as  soon  as  it  was  dark  the  captain  ordered  the  anchor  to 
be  weighed,  and  we  made  all  sail  to  the  northward,  trusting 
to  our  heels ;  the  following  morning  we  had  run  seventy 
miles,  and  as  the  French  ship  was  not  to  be  seen,  it  was  to  be 
presumed  that  she  was  not  aware  of  our  having  done  so. 

Ten  days  afterwards  we  dropped  our  anchor  in  Carlisle  Bay, 
Barbadoes.  We  found  two  men-of-war,  both  captains  junior 
officers  to  our  own,  and  I  took  this  opportunity  of  passing  my 
examination,  which  was  a  mere  matter  of  form.  Having 
watered  and  taken  in  provisions,  we  then  sailed  for  Jamaica, 
to  join  the  admiral,  who,  upon  Captain  Delmar's  representa- 
tion, immediately  confirmed  the  acting  order  of  lieutenant 
given  to  me  by  him. 

A  few  days  afterwards  a  packet  arrived  from  England,  and 
letters  were  received  by  Captain  Delmar,  informing  him  of 
the  death  of  his  elder  brother,,  and  his  succeeding  to  the 
title  of  Lord  de  Versely ;  for  his  elder  brother,  although 
married,  had  no  male  issue.  Upon  this  intelligence  Captain 
D.  immediately  resigned  the  command  of  the  Manilla,  and, 

253 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

another  captain  was  appointed  to  her.  I  did  not  much  like 
this,  as  I  wished  to  remain  with  Captain  Delmar  and  gain 
his  good-will.  I  was,  however,  consoled  by  his  sending  for 
me,  previous  to  his  sailing  for  England  in  a  frigate  ordered 
home,  and  saying,  "  Mr.  Keene,  my  duties  in  the  House  of 
Lords,  and  family  affairs,  require  my  presence  in  England, 
and  I  think  it  most  probable  that  I  will  now  quit  the  service 
altogether,  but  I  shall  not  lose  sight  of  you.  You  have  con- 
ducted yourself  much  to  my  satisfaction,  and  I  will  take  care 
of  your  advancement  in  the  service,  if  you  only  continue  as 
you  have  begun.  I  shall  be  happy  to  hear  from  you,  if  you 
will  write  to  me  occasionally.  I  wish  you  every  success.  Is 
there  anything  that  I  can  do  for  you  ?  " 

"I  am  most  grateful,  my  lord,"  replied  I,  "for  all  your 
kindness.  I  had  hoped  to  have  been  longer  under  your 
protection  and  guidance,  but  I  am  aware  that  your  high 
station  must  now  prevent  it.  If  I  might  be  so  bold  as  to 
ask  a  favour,  my  lord  ?  " 

"  Certainly,  Keene,"  replied  his  lordship. 

"Keene!  not  Mr.  Keene,"  thought  I. 

"  It  is,  sir,  that  I  think  I  should  have  a  better  chance  of 
doing  something  if  I  were  to  obtain  the  command  of  the 
Firefly  schooner;  the  lieutenant  commanding  her  is  about 
to  invalid." 

"  I  agree  with  you.  I  will  speak  to  the  admiral  this  very 
day.  Is  that  all  ?  " 

"  Yes,  my  lord ;  unless  you  think  you  could  ask  for  Cross, 
your  coxswain,  to  be  appointed  to  her.  I  should  like  to  have 
a  man  on  board  whom  I  knew  and  could  trust." 

"  I  will  see  about  it,  and  so  good-bye." 

His  lordship  held  out  his  hand.  I  took  it  very  respect- 
fully ;  he  had  never  done  so  before,  and  the  tears  ran  down 
my  cheeks  as  I  was  quitting  him.  His  lordship  observed  it, 
and  turned  away.  I  left  the  cabin,  quite  overcome  with 
his  kindness,  and  so  happy  that  I  would  not  have  changed 
positions  with  the  Grand  Sultan  himself. 

Lord  de  Versely  was  faithful  to  his  promise ;  the  next  day 
I  received  from  the  admiral  my  appointment  to  the  Firefly, 
and,  what  was  more  unexpected,  Bob  Cross  received  a 
warrant  as  her  boatswain.  This  was  a  very  kind  act  of 
Lord  de  Versely,  and  I  was  as  much  delighted  as  Bob  him- 

254 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

self.  I  also  received  an  invitation  to  dinner  with  the 
admiral  on  that  day.  On  my  arrival  at  the  house,  a  few 
minutes  before  dinner,  the  admiral  called  me  aside  to  the 
verandah,  and  said  to  me,  "  Mr.  Keene,  I  have  not  forgotten 
your  cruise  in  the  pirate  schooner,  and  Lord  de  Versely  has 
told  me  of  your  good  behaviour  in  many  instances  since ; 
particularly  of  your  conduct  in  the  boats  off  Berbice.  In 
his  despatches  he  has  given  you  great  praise,  and  il  have 
added  mine  to  back  it ;  so  that  if  you  only  keep  steady  you 
will  command  a  sloop  of  war  very  soon.  You  have  now 
been  seven  months  a  lieutenant,  for  your  commission  will 
be  confirmed  to  your  first  appointment ;  a  few  months  more 
and  I  hope  to  see  you  with  a  commander's  commission  in 
your  pocket." 

I  seplied  that  I  was  very  grateful,  and  only  hoped  that  he 
would  send  me  out  in  the  schooner  to  where  I  might  prove 
myself  deserving  of  his  patronage. 

"  Never  fear.  I'll  find  something  for  you  to  do,  Mr. 
Keene.  By-the-bye,  Lord  de  Versely  told  me  last  night, 
when  we  were  alone,  the  history  of  the  duel  at  Martinique. 
You  did  well,  Mr.  Keene ;  I  thank  you  in  the  name  of  our 
service ;  it  won't  do  for  the  soldiers  to  crow  over  us,  though 
they  are  fine  fellows,  it  must  be  admitted.  However,  that 
secret  had  better  be  kept." 

"  Most  certainly,  sir,"  replied  I. 

"  Now,  then,  there's  that  black  fellow  come  up  to  tell  us 
dinner  is  ready ;  so  come  along,  or  you'll  be  where  the 
little  boat  was — a  long  way  astern." 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

JL  HE  admiral  was  very  kind  to  me,  and  shook  hands  with 
me  when  I  left  him.  I  returned  on  board  of  the  Manilla, 
took  leave  of  the  surgeon  and  master,  and  other  officers,  and 
then  of  all  my  messmates,  and  a  boat  was  manned  to  take 
Bob  Cross  and  me  on  board  of  the  Firefly.  After  the  boat 
shoved  off,  and  was  a  little  distance  from  the  frigate,  the 
men  suddenly  tossed  up  their  oars. 

255 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

"What  are  you  about,  men ? "  said  I. 

"  Look  there,  sir,"  said  Bob  Cross,  pointing  to  the  frigate. 

I  turned  round  and  perceived  all  the  men  in  the  rigging, 
who  gave  me  three  cheers  from  a  pipe  of  the  boatswain — a 
compliment  which  I  had  not  dreamt  of,  and  which  moved 
me  to  tears.  I  arose  and  took  off  my  hat ;  the  men  in 
the  boat  returned  the  cheers,  dropped  their  oars  in  the 
water,  and  rowed  to  the  schooner.  I  stepped  on  board, 
ordered  the  hands  aft,  and  read  my  commission,  and  then 
Cross's  warrant,  after  which  I  went  down  into  the  cabin, 
for  I  wished  to  be  alone. 

I  was  now  in  command  of  a  vessel,  and  not  more  than 
twenty  years  old.  I  reflected  what  a  career  was  before  me, 
if  I  was  fortunate,  and  never  neglected  an  opportunity  of 
distinguishing  myself;  and  I  vowed  that  I  never  would,  and 
prayed  to  Heaven  to  assist  my  endeavours.  Lord  de  Versely's 
kindness  to  me  had  struck  deep  into  my  heart,  and  my 
anxiety  was,  that  he  should  be  proud  of  me.  And  then  I 
thought  of  the  chances  for  and  against  me ;  he  might  marry 
and  have  children ;  that  would  be  the  worst  thing  that 
could  happen  to  me.  If  he  did  not  marry,  his  .other  brother 
had  a  large  family,  and  the  title  would  go  to  the  eldest  son ; 
but  that  was  nothing  to  me. 

While  I  was  summoning  up  all  these  contingencies  in  my 
mind,  there  was  a  knock  at  the  cabin  door.  "  Come  in,"  said 
I.  "  Oh  !  is  it  you,  Cross  ?  I  am  glad  to  see  you.  Sit  down 
there.  You  see  I  command  a  vessel  at  last,  Bob." 

"  Yes,  sir  ;  and  you'll  command  a  larger  one  before  long,  I 
hope  ;  but  as  to  your  being  in  command  of  a  vessel — there's 
nothing  very  surprising  in  that ;  what  is  surprising  is,  to  find 
myself  a  warrant  officer — the  idea  never  came  into  my  head. 
I  must  write,  and  tell  my  little  girl  of  my  good  fortune ;  it 
will  make  her  and  her  mother  very  happy." 

"I  must  do  the  same,  Cross.  My  mother  will  be  very 
much  pleased  to  hear  all  I  have  to  tell  her." 

"  I  haven't  heard  it  myself  yet,  Mr.  Keene,  and  that's  why 
I  came  in,"  replied  Bob.  "  I  know  you  don't  want  advice 
now;  but  I  can't  help  having  a  wish  to  know  what  took 
place  between  you  and  his  lordship." 

"  No  one  has  a  better  right  to  know  than  you,  who  have 
been  such  a  sincere  friend  to  me ;  so  now  I'll  tell  you." 

256 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

I  then  entered  into  a  detail  of  all  that  had  passed  between 
Lord  de  Versely  and  me,  and  also  what  the  admiral  had  said 
to  me. 

"All's  right,  Mr.  Keene/'  replied  Bob;  "and  let  the 
admiral  only  give  us  something  to  do,  and  I  think  you'll 
believe  me  when  1  say  that  the  boatswain  of  the  Firefly  will 
back  you  as  long  as  he  has  a  pin  to  stand  upon." 

"  That  I'm  sure  of,  Bob ;  you  will  ever  be  my  right-hand 
man.  There  ai'e  two  midshipmen  on  board,  I  perceive ; 
what  sort  of  lads  may  they  be  ?  " 

"  I  haven't  had  time  to  find  out ;  but  you  have  a  capital 
ship's  company — that  the  gunner  and  carpenter  both  say." 

"And  a  very  fine  vessel,  Bob." 

"Yes,  sir,  and  a  regular  flyer,  they  say,  if  she  is  well 
managed.  You  have  never  been  in  a  schooner,  Mr.  Keene, 
but  I  have,  and  for  nearly  three  years,  and  I  know  how  to 
handle  one  as  well  as  most  people." 

"  So  much  the  better,  Cross,  for  I  know  nothing  about  it. 
Come,  I  will  ring  the  bell ;  I  suppose  some  one  will  answer 
it."  A  lad  made  his  appearance. 

"  Were  you  Mr.  Williams's  servant  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  Get  me  out  a  bottle  of  wine  and  some  glasses — there, 
that  will  do. — Now,  Bob,  let's  drink  success  to  the  Firefly." 

"  Here's  success  to  the  Firefly,  Mr.  Keene,  and  success  to 
the  captain.  May  you  do  well  in  her,  and  be  soon  out  of  her." 

"  Thank  you,  Bob ;  here's  your  health,  and  may  we  long 
sail  together." 

Bob  and  I  finished  the  bottle,  and  then  we  parted. 

The  next  day  I  was  very  busy  in  examining  my  vessel  and 
my  ship's  company.  The  schooner  was  a  beautiful  model, 
very  broad  in  the  beam,  and  very  low  in  the  water ;  she 
mounted  one  long  brass  thirty-two  pounder  forward  on  a 
circular  sweep,  so  that  it  could  be  trained  in  every  direction ; 
abaft,  she  had  four  brass  nine-pound  carronades.  My  ship's 
company  consisted  of  sixty  men  and  officers  ;  that  is,  myself, 
two  mids,  boatswain,  gunner,  and  carpenter.  The  mids  were 
young  lads  of  about  sixteen  years  of  age,  a  Mr.  Brown  and  a 
Mr.  Black,  gawky  tall  boys,  with  their  hands  thrust  too  far 
through  the  sleeves  of  their  jackets,  and  their  legs  pulled  too 
far  through  their  trousers ;  in  fact,  they  were  growing  Iads7 

257  R 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

who  had  nothing  but  their  pay  to  subsist  upon,  being  both  sons 
of  warrant  officers.  They  bore  very  good  characters,  and  I 
resolved  to  patronise  them,  and  the  first  thing  which  I  did 
was  to  present  them  each  with  a  new  suit  of  uniform  and  a 
few  other  necessaries,  so  as  to  make  them  look  respectable  ; 
a  most  unheard-of  piece  of  patronage,  and  which  it  is  there- 
fore my  boast  to  record.  The  fact  is,  I  was  resolved  that  my 
schooner  should  look  respectable ;  my  ship's  company  were 
really  a  very  fine  body  of  men,  most  of  them  tall  and  stout, 
and  I  had  received  a  very  good  character  of  them  from  the 
officer  who  had  invalided.  I  had  taken  all  his  stores  and 
furniture  off  his  hands,  for  I  had  plenty  of  money,  and  to 
spare. 

As  soon  as  I  had  examined  my  ship's  company,  I  made 
them  a  speech,  the  which,  although  they  were  bound  to 
hear  it,  I  shall  not  inflict  upon  the  reader,  and  I  then  went 
down  and  examined  every  portion  of  the  vessel,  ascertained 
what  there  was  in  her  and  where  everything  was.  Bob 
Cross  accompanied  me  in  this  latter  duty,  which  was  not  over 
till  dinner-time.  The  next  morning  my  signal  was  made, 
and  I  went  up  to  the  admiral. 

"Mr.  Keene,"  said  the  admiral,  "here  are  despatches  to  take 
down  to  the  governor  of  Cura9oa.  When  will  you  be  ready?" 

"  Now,  sir,"  replied  I ;  "  and  if  you  will  make  the  signal 
for  the  Firefly  to  weigh  anchor,  there  will  be  so  much  time 
gained." 

"  Very  good,  Keene ;  tell  them  to  make  the  signal.  You 
must  make  all  the  haste  you  can,  as  they  are  important. 
Here  are  your  orders :  after  you  have  delivered  your  de- 
spatches, you  will  be  allowed  to  cruise  down  in  that  quarter, 
as  I  understand  there  are  some  very  mischievous  vessels  in 
that  direction.  I  hope  you  will  give  me  a  good  account  of 
one  or  two  of  them,  if  you  fall  in  with  them." 

"  I  will  do  my  best,  sir,"  replied  I. 

"Well,  I  sent  you  on  purpose.  I  have  ordered  the  senior 
officer  at  Curacoa  to  forward  the  return  despatches  by  the 
Mosquito,  that  you  may  have  a  chance.  I  won't  ask  you 
to  stay  dinner,  as  it  is  an  affair  that  presses,  so  of  course 
you  will  carry  a  press  of  sail.  Good-bye,  and  I  wish  you 
success." 

I  took  my  leave  of  the  admiral  and  hastened  down  to  the 

258 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

town.  In  an  hour  afterwards  the  Firefly  was  driving  along 
with  a  fine  breeze  on  the  quarter,  and  long  before  night  the 
vessels  in  the  harbour  were  not  to  be  distinguished.  The 
breeze  freshened  after  the  sun  went  down,  and  I  remained 
on  deck,  carrying  on  to  the  last  moment.  Bob  Cross  once 
or  twice  ventured  to  say  that  we  had  better  reduce  the  sail ; 
but  I  told  Bob  that  the  admiral  was  very  anxious  that  I 
should  make  a  quick  passage. 

"  Yes,  Mr.  Keene,  but  '  turning  the  turtle '  is  not  making  a 
quick  passage,  except  to  the  other  world,  and  the  admiral 
does  not  wish  his  despatches  to  go  there.  She  is  a  fine  boat, 
sir,  but  there  may  be  too  much  sail  carried  on  a  good  vessel : 
the  men  say  she  never  has  been  so  pressed  before." 

"Well,  you  are  right,  Bob,  and  so  we  will  take  a  little 
off  her." 

( '  Yes,  sir ;  it's  my  watch  coming  on  now,  and  I  Will  carry 
all  she  can  bear  with  safety,  and  I  think  she  will  go  quite 
as  fast  as  she  does  now.  We  shall  have  more  wind  yet,  sir, 
depend  upon  it." 

"Well,  so  long  as  it  is  fair,  I  don't  mind  how  much," 
replied  I.  "  Send  the  watch  aft." 

We  reduced  the  sail,  and  then  I  went  down  to  bed. 

At  daylight  I  awoke  and  went  on  deck.  The  carpenter 
had  the  watch,  for  the  watches  were  entrusted  to  the  warrant 
officers,  who  were  all  good  seamen,  and  accustomed  to  the 
schooner.  I  found  that  the  wind  had  freshened,  but  was 
steady  from  the  same  quarter,  and  the  schooner  was  darting 
through  the  water  at  a  tremendous  rate. 

"  She  sails  well,  Mr.  Hayter,"  said  I. 

"Yes,  sir,  that  she  does,"  replied  he;  "and  never  sailed 
better  than  she  does  now.  I  was  a  little  alarmed  for  my 
sticks  last  night,  until  you  shortened  sail." 

"  Admiral's  orders  to  cany  a  press  of  sail,  Mr.  Hayter." 

"Well,  sir,  then,  by  Jove!  you  obey  orders;  you  half 
frightened  the  men,  although  they  have  been  so  long  in  the 
vessel." 

I  felt,  by  what  the  carpenter  had  said,  that  I  had  been 
rash.  Neither  he  nor  Bob  Cross  would  have  ventured  so 
much  if  I  had  not  been  so ;  and  they  understood  the  vessel 
better  than  I  did,  so  I  resolved  to  be  guided  by  them  until 
I  felt  able  to  judge  for  myself.  Notwithstanding  that  sail 

259 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

was  afterwards  carried  more  prudently,  we  had  a  most  remark- 
ably rapid  passage ;  for  we  took  the  breeze  with  us  down  the 
whole  way,  not  seeing  a  vessel  during  the  run.  I  had  another 
cause  of  impatience,  which  was,  to  ascertain  if  Mr.  Vanderwelt 
and  Minnie  had  left  the  island. 

On  my  arrival,  I  went  first  to  the  naval  commanding  officer, 
and  then  to  the  governor's,  delivering  my  credentials.  They 
complimented  me  on  my  having  been  so  active.  I  accepted 
the  governor's  invitation  to  dinner,  and  then  went  to  inquire 
after  Mr.  Vanderwelt.  I  walked  first  to  his  house,  but  found 
it  occupied  by  a  Scotch  merchant,  who,  however,  was  very 
polite.  He  stated  that  he  was  an  old  friend  of  Mr.  Vander- 
welt, and  could  give  me  every  information,  as  he  had  received 
letters  from  him  veiy  lately,  and  that  in  those  letters  Mr. 
Vanderwelt  had  informed  him  that  I  had  said,  in  my  last 
letter  to  them,  that  I  was  again  on  the  West  India  station, 
and  requested  him,  if  I  came  to  the  island,  to  show  me  every 
attention.  "So,  my  dear  sir,"  continued  Mr.  Fraser,  "I 
trust  you  will  enable  me  to  comply  with  my  friend  Mr. 
Vanderwelt's  injunctions,  and  consider  this  house  as  your 
home  during  your  stay  here." 

I  thanked  Mr.  Fraser  and  accepted  the  offer.  I  sent  for 
my  portmanteau,  and  slept  there  that  night  after  I  had  dined 

with  the   governor.     At  dinner  I  met  Captain  C ,  who 

told  me  he  had  orders  to  send  me  on  a  cruise,  and  asked 
when  I  would  be  ready.  I  replied,  that  I  should  like  a  day 
or  two  to  lift  my  rigging  and  overhaul  it,  as  I  had  been  very 
much  strained  in  my  passage  down. 

"  No  wonder,"  replied  he  ;  "  you  must  have  flown — in- 
deed, your  log  proves  it.  Well,  I  will  send  you  as  soon  as 
you  are  ready.  The  Naiad  sloop  is  out,  and  so  is  the  Driver 
brig,  both  in  pursuit  of  three  vessels,  which  have  done  a 
great  deal  of  mischief.  One  is  a  French  brig  of  fourteen 
guns,  very  fast,  and  full  of  men.  She  has  her  consort,  a 
large  schooner,  who  is  also  a  regular  clipper.  The  other 
vessel  is  a  brigantine,  a  very  fine  vessel,  built  at  Baltimore — 
of  course,  under  French  colours  :  she  cruises  alone.  I  don't 
know  how  many  guns  she  carries,  but  I  suspect  that  both  she 
and  the  brig  will  be  too  much  for  you  ;  and  unless  you  could 
catch  the  schooner  away  from  her  consort,  you  will  not  be 
able  to  do  much  with  the  Firefly." 

260' 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

"  I  will  do  my  best,  sir,"  replied  I.  "  I  have  a  very 
fine  set  of  men  on  board,  and  I  think,  very  good 
officers." 

"  Well,  at  all  events,  if  you  can't  fight,  you  have  a  good 

pair  of  heels  to  run  with,"  replied  Captain  C ;  "  but 

dinner's  announced." 

I  left  early,  that  I  might  have  some  conversation  with  Mr. 
Fraser.  On  my  return  we  sat  down  to  some  sangoi'ic  and 
cigars ;  and  then  he  told  me  that  Mr.  Vanderwelt  had  left 
Cura£oa  about  nine  months  before,  and  that  my  last  letter 
directed  to  him  had  been  forwarded  to  Holland.  He  had 
often  heard  the  history  of  my  saving  their  lives  on  board  of 
the  pirate  vessel  from  Mr.  Vanderwelt,  who  made  it  a  con- 
stant theme  of  his  discourse ;  and,  added  Mr.  Fraser,  "  You 
do  not  know  what  a  regard  he  has  for  you." 

"  And  little  Minnie,  sir  ?  "  inquired  I :  "it  is  now  nearly 
five  years  since  I  saw  her." 

"  Little  Minnie  is  no  longer  little  Minnie,  Mr.  Keene,  I  can 
assure  you.  She  \vasjijleen  when  she  left  the  island,  and 
had  grown  a  tall  and  very  beautiful  girl.  All  the  young  men 
here  were  mad  about  her,  and  would  have  followed  her  not 
only  to  Holland,  but  to  the  end  of  the  world,  I  believe,  if 
they  thought  that  they  had  the  least  chance  :  but,  from  my 
intimacy  with  the  family,  I  tell  you  candidly,  that  I  think  if 
you  were  to  meet  again,  you  would  not  have  a  bad  one  ;  for 
she  talks  incessantly  of  you  when  alone  with  her  father.  But 
I  must  not  divulge  family  secrets." 

"  I  fear  there  is  little  chance  of  my  meeting  again  with 
her,"  replied  I ;  "  I  have  to  carve  my  way  up  in  my  pro- 
fession, and  this  war  does  not  appear  likely  to  be  over  soon. 
That  I  should  like  to  see  her  and  her  father  again,  I  grant ; 
for  I  have  made  but  few  friendships  during  my  life,  and  theirs 
was  one  of  the  most  agreeable.  Where  is  Mr.  Vanderwelt 
settled  ?  " 

"  He  is  not  in  Holland — he  is  at  Hamburg.  Well,  there 
is  no  saying  ;  accident  may  bring  you  together  again,  as  it  did 
on  board  of  the  pirate  ;  and  I  hope  it  may." 

Shortly  afterwards  we  went  to  bed.  I  must  say,  his  de- 
scription of  Minnie,  which  was  given  much  more  in  detail 
than  I  have  narrated  to  the  reader,  did  prevent  my  going  to 
sleep  for  a  long  while.  Woman,  as  the  reader  may  have 

261 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

seen,  never  once  troubled  my  thoughts — I  had  fed  upon  one 
sole  and  absorbing  idea,  that  of  being  acknowledged  by 
Captain  Delmar.  This  was  and  had  been  the  source  and 
spring  of  every  action,  and  was  the  only  and  daily  object  of 
reverie ;  it  was  my  ambition,  and  ambition  in  any  shape,  in 
whatever  direction  it  may  be  led,  is  so  powerful  as  to  swallow 
up  every  other  passion  of  the  human  mind ;  but  still  I  had  a 
strong  affection  for  Minnie— that  is,  for  little  Minnie,  as  I  saw 
her  first,  with  her  beautiful  large  eyes  and  Madonna  counte- 
nance, clinging  to  her  father.  With  the  exception  of  my 
own  relations,  who  were  so  much  my  seniors,  I  had  had 
nothing  to  bestow  my  affections  on ;  had  not  even  made  the 
acquaintance,  I  may  say,  of  a  woman,  unless  my  casual  inter- 
course with  Bob  Cross's  Mary,  indeed,  might  be  so  considered. 
A  passion  for  the  other  sex  was,  therefore,  new  to  me  ;  but 
although  new,  it  was  pleasing,  and,  perhaps,  more  pleasing 
from  being,  in  the  present  case,  ideal ;  for  I  had  only  a 
description  of  Minnie  as  she  was,  and  a  recollection  of  what 
she  had  been.  I  could,  therefore,  between  the  two,  fill  up 
the  image  with  what  was  to  my  fancy  the  ideal  of  perfec- 
tion. I  did  so  again  and  again,  until  the  night  wore  away; 
and  tired  out  at  last,  I  fell  fast  asleep. 

The  next  day,  after  I  had  been  on  board  of  the  schooner, 
and  given  my  orders  to  Bob  Cross,  I  returned  to  Mr.  Fraser, 
and  sat  down  to  write  to  Mr.  Vandervvelt ;  I  also  wrote  to 
Minnie,  which  I  had  never  done  before.  That  my  night 
reveries  had  an  effect  on  me  was  certain,  for  I  wrote  her 
a  long  letter ;  whereas,  had  I  commenced  one  before  my 
arrival  at  Curagoa,  I  should  have  been  puzzled  to  have  made 
out  ten  lines.  I  told  her  I  was  sitting  in  the  same  chair, 
that  I  was  sleeping  in  the  same  room,  that  I  could  not  look 
around  me  without  being  reminded  of  her  dear  face,  and  the 
happy  hours  we  passed  together ;  that  Mr.  Fraser  had  told 
me  how  tall  she  had  grown,  and  was  no  longer  the  little 
Minnie  that  used  to  kiss  me.  In  fact,  I  wrote  quite  roman- 
tically, as  well  as  affectionately ;  and  when  I  read  over  my 
letter,  wondered  how  it  was  that  I  had  become  so  eloquent. 
I  begged  Mr.  Vanderwelt  to  write  to  me  as  soon  as  possible, 
and  tell  me  all  about  their  doings.  I  sealed  my  letter,  and 
then  threw  myself  back  in  my  chair,  arid  once  more  indulged 
in  the  reveries  of  the  night  before.  I  had  a  new  feeling 

262 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

suddenly  sprung  up  in  my  heart,  which  threatened  to  be  a 
formidable  rival  to  my  ambition. 

In  two  days  the  Firefly  was  ready,  and  I  reported  her  as 

being  so  to  Captain  C .  He  gave  me  my  orders,  which 

were  to  cruise  for  six  weeks,  and  then  to  rejoin  the  admiral 
at  Port  Royal,  unless  circumstances  should  make  me  think 
it  advisable  to  return  to  the  island.  The  boats  of  the  men- 
of-war  were  sent  to  tow  me  out  of  the  harbour,  and  I  was 
once  more  on  the  wide  blue  sea — the  schooner  darting  along 
like  a  dolphin. 

For  a  fortnight  we  cruised  without  seeing  any  vessel  but 
the  Naiad.  I  was  very  much  afraid  that  the  captain  would 
have  ordered  me  to  keep  company ;  but  as  he  considered  his 
vessel  quite  a  match  for  the  brig  and  schooner  if  he  should 
fall  in  with  them,  and  did  not  want  the  prize-money  to  be 
shared  with  the  crew  of  the  Firefly,  he  allowed  me  to  go  my 
own  way,  saying  to  me,  laughingly,  as  I  went  over  the  side, 
"  They  will  certainly  take  you  if  they  meet  you,  and  we  shall 
have  to  recapture  you." 

"  Well,  I  hope  you  will  not  forget  your  promise,  sir,"  replied 
I ;  "  I  shall  depend  upon  you." 

During  the  fortnight  that  I  had  been  out,  I  had  taken  great 
pains  in  exercising  the  men  at  their  guns,  the  great  gun 
particularly ;  and  I  had  an  excellent  sight  put  on  it,  which  it 
had  not,  and  very  much  required.  During  two  or  three  days' 
calm,  I  had  fired  shot  at  a  mark  for  three  or  four  hours  each 
day,  and  I  found  that  the  men,  with  this  little  practice,  were 
very  expert,  and  could  hit  a  very  small  object,  now  that  the 
sight  was  put  on  the  gun.  The  two  best  shots,  however,  were 
the  gunner  and  Bob  Cross. 

The  night  after  we  parted  from  the  Naiad,  I  had  run  to  the 
southward,  having  heard  from  the  captain  that  the  Driver  was 
more  to  the  northward  than  he  was.  There  was  nothing  in 
sight  on  the  next  day,  and  when  the  evening  set  in,  the  wind 
being  very  light,  and  water  smooth,  I  said  to  Cross,  "  Suppose 
we  furl  sail  at  night — it  is  just  as  good  as  running  about ;  we 
shall  then  see  them  if  they  come  in  our  way,  and  they  will  not 
see  us." 

"  A  very  good  idea,  Mr.  Keene ;  we  must  keep  a  good  look- 
out, that's  all." 

I  followed  up  my  own  suggestion ;  we  furled  the  sails,  and 

263 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

leaving  two  men  with  the  officer  of  the  watch  to  keep  a  sharp 
look-out,  allowed  the  rest  of  the  ship's  company  to  remain  in 
the  hammocks  during  the  whole  of  the  night. 

When  day  broke  we  had  two  look-out  men  at  the  masthead, 
but  remained  with  our  sails  furled  as  before,  for  the  same 
reason,  that  we  should  discern  a  vessel  by  her  sails  long  before 
she  could  discover  us.  The  more  I  thought  of  it,  the  more 
convinced  I  was  of  the  advantage  to  be  gained  by  the  follow- 
ing up  this  plan.  I  was  on  the  exact  cruising  ground  I  wished 
to  be,  and  therefore  could  not  do  better  while  the  weather 
remained  so  fine. 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

-T  OUR  nights  and  three  days  we  remained  in  this  way  ;  during 
which  my  men  had  nothing  to  do  but  to  exercise  at  the  guns, 
and  of  that  I  took  care  they  should  have  a  good  spell.  On 
the  fourth  night  the  wind  was  a  little  fresher,  but  the  water 
quite  smooth.  I  had  turned  in  about  twelve  o'clock,  and  had 
been  asleep  about  an  hour,  when  Cross  came  and  called  me. 

"Well,  Cross,"  said  I,  "what  is  it?" 

"  Here  they  are,  sir." 

"  What  ? — the  privateers  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir  ;  the  brig  and  schooner  both  coming  down  right 
before  the  wind  ;  they  are  on  our  weather  quarter,  and  will 
pass  us  within  two  miles,  if  not  nearer." 

I  left  my  bed-place,  and  was  dressed  in  a  minute.  I  went 
on  deck  with  my  glass,  and  directed  it  to  the  vessels,  which 
were  quite  plain  to  the  naked  eye.  "  Put  out  the  binnacle 
light,  Cross,"  said  I ;  "  they  might  discover  us." 

The  brig,  which  was  the  headmost  of  the  two  vessels,  was 
now  nearly  crossing  our  stern.  The  schooner  was  about  a  mile 
astern  of  her.  "  Turn  the  hands  up,  Cross ;  see  all  ready  for 
action  and  making  sail." 

"  Not  yet,  sir,  surely  !  " 

"  No,  not  yet ;  we  will  let  them  run  two  or  three  miles 
dead  to  leeward,  and  then  follow  them  till  daylight,  or  till 
they  see  us,  when,  of  course,  they  will  be  after  us." 

"  It's  very  fortunate,  sir,  that  we  did  furl  the  sails  ;  for  had 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

they  come  d6wn,  and  we  under  sail,  they  would  have  seen  us, 
and  we  should  have  been  to  leeward  of  them,  which  would 
have  given  us  a  poor  chance  against  such  odds ;  now  we  shall 
have  the  weather-gage,  and  may  choose,  if  our  heels  are  as 
good  as  theirs,  which  I  expect  they  are,  if  not  better." 

"  I  shall  fight  them  in  some  shape  or  another,  Bob,  you 
may  depend  upon  it." 

"  Of  course  you  will,  Mr.  Keene,  or  you'll  disappoint  us  all. 
The  ship's  company  have  every  confidence  in  you." 

"  Thanks  to  your  long  yarns,  Bob,  I  presume." 

"  Thanks  to  my  telling  the  truth,  Mr.  Keene.  The  schooner 
is  right  astern  of  us  now,  so  there's  the  weather-gage  gone." 

We  remained  as  we  were  till  I  considered  the  two  vessels 
sufficiently  to  leeward,  and  the  sails  were  then  set  upon  the 
Firefly,  and  first  running  to  the  eastward,  so  as  to  get  right  in 
the  wind's  eye  of  them,  I  put  the  helm  up,  and  followed 
them.  We  had  continued  our  course  in  their  wake  for 
about  an  hour,  when  day  dawned,  and  the  schooner,  who 
had  discovered  us,  fired  a  gun,  as  a  signal  to  her  consort. 

"  So  you've  found  us  out  at  last,  have  you  ? "  said  Bob 
Cross  ;  "  at  all  events,  we  keep  a  better  look-out  than  you  do, 
old  fellow." 

Shortly  after  the  gun  was  fired,  both  vessels  hauled  to  the 
wind  on  the  larboard  tack,  and  we  did  the  same  :  being  about 
four  miles  to  windward  of  the  schooner,  and  five  or  five  and  a 
half  of  the  brig,  we  could  now  examine  our  adversaries.  The 
schooner  was,  apparently,  about  the  same  tonnage  as  the 
Firefly,  a  very  beautiful  vessel,  with  her  masts  raking  over 
her  stern.  She  was  painted  black,  and  we  could  not  ascertain, 
at  first,  how  many  guns  she  carried,  as  her  ports  were  shut ; 
but  after  a  short  time  she  knocked  out  her  half  ports  to  pre- 
pare for  action,  and  then  we  discovered  that  she  earned 
twelve  guns,  but  not  a  long  gun  on  a  swivel,  like  the  one  on 
board  of  the  Firefly.  I  observed  this  to  Cross,  who  replied, 
"  Then,  sir,  all  we  have  to  do  now  is  to  try  our  rate  of  sailing 
with  them,  and  if  we  are  faster  than  they  are  we  have  not 
much  to  fear — unless  we  lose  a  spar,  indeed  ;  but  luck's  all, 
Mr.  Keene.  The  schooner  has  more  sail  on  her  than  we 
have  ;  shall  we  set  exactly  the  same  ?  " 

"No,  Cross,  for  I  think  we  have  fore-reached  upon  her 
already,  and  if  we  can  beat  her  with  less  sail  set,  it  will  do 

265 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

just  as  well.  I  think  that  the  breeze  is  steady;  if  anything 
we  shall  have  more  than  less  of  it." 

For  an  hour  we  continued  running  on  the  same  tack  with 
them,  by  which  time  we  found  that  we  had  not  only  brought 
the  schooner  one  point  abaft  our  beam,  but  had  weathered 
her  at  least  half  a  mile.  We  therefore  were  fully  satisfied 
that  we  had  sailed  better  than  the  schooner.  With  the  brig 
it  was  not  so.  Although  we  had  brought  the  schooner  two 
points  abaft  our  beam,  the  brig  was  much  in  her  former  posi- 
tion, being  still  half  a  point  abaft  our  beam,  and  moreover 
had  come  up  much  closer  to  the  schooner,  proving  that  we 
had  neither  weathered  her,  nor  fore-reached  upon  her.  As 
near  as  we  could  judge,  our  sailing  with  the  brig  was  much 
upon  a  par.  Having  ascertained  this  point  most  satisfactorily 
by  allowing  another  hour  of  trial,  I  desired  the  men  to 
get  their  breakfasts,  while  I  and  the  officers  did  the  same ; 
and  as  soon  as  that  was  done,  I  ordered  the  Firefly  to  be 
kept  away — edging  down  till  within  good  range  of  our  long 
brass  thirty-two  pound  gun — that  is,  about  a  mile  and  a  half 
— when  we  again  hauled  our  wind  and  hoisted  the  English 
colours. 

The  tricolour  was  immediately  thrown  up  by  the  two 
Frenchmen,  and  a  shot  was  fired  at  us  by  the  schooner:  it  fell 
exhausted  into  the  water  about  half  a  cable's  length  from  us. 

"  Now,  Cross,"  said  I,  "  see  if  we  can't  return  the  compli- 
ment with  a  little  better  success." 

Cross,  who  had  been  training  the  gun,  and  had  his  eye  on 
the  sight,  waited  for  a  second  or  two,  and  fired  :  we  saw  the 
shot  pass  through  the  first  reef  of  his  main-sail,  and  dash  into 
the  water  to  leeward  of  him. 

"  Very  good  that,  Cross ;  but  hull  him  if  you  can." 

The  schooner  now  returned  the  fire  with  the  whole  broad- 
side, apparently  twelve-pounders ;  but  they  did  not  throw  so 
far  as  our  long  thirty-two  pounder,  and  no  shot  went  over  us, 
although  one  fell  close  under  the  stern.  At  the  distance,  there- 
fore, that  we  were,  we  had  everything  in  our  favour,  and  my 
object  was  to  dismantle  the  schooner  before  any  chance 
enabled  the  brig  to  assist  her.  We  continued  to  fire  at  her, 
taking  the  greatest  pains  in  our  aim,  for  the  next  hour,  during 
which  we  ascertained  that  we  had  hulled  her  more  than  once, 
and  had  very  much  cut  up  her  spars  and  rigging.  She  con- 

266 


tinued  to  return  the  fire,  but  without  effect.  One  or  two 
shots  hit  us,  but  their  force  was  so  much  spent  by  the 
distance  they  were  propelled,  that  they  did  not  enter  the 
sides.  At  last  a  shot  fired  by  the  gunner  did  the  job ;  it 
struck  her  foremast,  which  shortly  afterwards  went  by  the 
board.  The  Fireflies  gave  three  cheers  at  the  good  fortune. 

"  She's  done  for,  sir,"  said  Cross.  "  Now  for  the  brig — we 
must  try  what  metal  she  carries." 

"  Stop  a  bit,"  said  I,  "  Cross ;  we  must  give  the  schooner  a 
little  more  before  she  gets  away.  They  have  lowered  down 
the  main-sail,  and,  I  presume,  intend  getting  up  some  head- 
sail,  so  as  to  pay  off,  and  run  under  the  lee  of  the  brig  for 
shelter.  Put  the  helm  up,  and  run  down  so  as  to  keep  the 
schooner  about  two  points  on  our  larboard  bow.  Get  the  gun 
round,  and  pitch  it  into  her." 

As  we  had  supposed,  the  schooner  got  a  stay  up  from  her 
bowsprit  and  to  her  mainmast  head,  and  hoisted  a  fore  and 
aft  sail  upon  it,  that  she  might  pay  off  and  run  down  to  her 
consort  for  support ;  but  as  we  ran  three  feet  to  her  one,  and 
now  stood  directly  for  her,  we  were  enabled  to  get  close  to 
her,  and  put  several  shot  into  her  from  our  long  gun  as  we 
advanced.  She  did  not  attempt  to  round  to,  to  give  us  her 
broadside,  and  our  raking  shot  must  have  had  great  effect. 
When  within  half  a  mile  of  her  we  rounded  to,  and  gave 
her  our  broadside ;  for  had  we  followed  her  any  farther,  we 
should  have  been  closer  to  the  brig  than  might  be  agreeable. 
Indeed,  we  were  nearer  than  we  thought,  for  she  had  con- 
tinued to  hug  the  wind,  and  was  so  weatherly,  that  she  was 
not  more  than  a  mile  to  leeward  of  us  when  we  rounded 
to  the  wind  again ;  but  as  she  had  fore-reached  upon  the 
schooner,  she  was  distant  from  us  about  two  miles.  As  we 
rounded  to,  the  brig  tacked,  and  we  immediately  did  the 
same ;  and  we  now  had  a  fair  trial  of  sailing  with  her. 

"Cross,  let  the  men  go  down  and  get  what  they  can  to 
eat,"  said  I,  "  and  get  up  the  grog.  We  shall  have  plenty  of 
work  before  the  night  is  over,  I  expect." 

"  We  must  make  a  running  fight  of  it,  sir,  I  expect,  for  she 
is  too  heavy  for  us." 

"  I  shall  try  her  the  same  way  as  the  schooner,  Cross," 
replied  I.  "  If  I  can  only  knock  away  some  of  her  spars 
without  losing  my  own,  I  shall  then  be  able  to  do  some- 

267 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

thing ;  if,  on  the  contrary,  we  lose  our  spars,  and  she  gets 
alongside  of  us,  why  then  we  must  fight  to  the  last." 

"  I  consider  that  schooner  as  our  own,"  replied  Bob ;  "  she 
must  haul  down  her  colours  when  no  longer  protected  by  the 
brig." 

"  Yes ;  I  was  afraid  that  she  would  run  away  to  leeward 
altogether ;  but  I  see  she  has  rounded  to,  and  is  no  doubt 
getting  up  a  jury-foremast." 

I  allowed  the  men  to  remain  an  hour  at  their  dinner,  and 
then  they  were  summoned  up.  During  the  hour  we  found 
the  rate  of  sailing  between  us  and  the  brig  so  nearly  balanced, 
that  it  was  impossible  to  say  which  had  the  better  of  it. 

"  Now,  my  lads,  we  will  wear  round,  and  get  a  little  closer 
to  this  fellow,  and  see  what  we  can  do  with  him." 

The  men  were  full  of  spirit  and  hope,  and  were  as  anxious 
to  decide  the  question  as  I  was.  In  ten  minutes  we  passed 
the  brig  within  a  mile  on  opposite  tacks,  and  had  given  her 
our  long  gun  three  times,  and  had  received  her  broadside. 

"  He  has  long  twelve-pounders,  I  think,  sir,"  said  Cross ; 
"  smart  guns,  at  all  events.  There's  a  fore  shroud  and  a  back 
stay  gone ;  but  that's  no  great  matter." 

As  soon  as  the  brig  was  three  points  abaft  the  beam,  we 
tacked,  and  recommenced  firing.  Not  a  shot  was  thrown  away 
by  my  men.  I  believe  the  brig  was  hulled  every  time ;  nor 
was  her  fire  without  effect  upon  us.  Our  rigging  was  much 
cut  up ;  several  of  her  shot  had  gone  through  our  sails,  and 
we  had  two  men  hurt.  I  was  annoyed  at  this,  as  we  had  no 
surgeon  on  board.  The  assistant-surgeon  who  had  belonged 
to  the  schooner  was  at  the  hospital,  and  there  Avas  not  one  to 
replace  him  when  we  sailed.  However,  we  had  one  of  the 
men  belonging  to  the  hospital — a  sort  of  dispenser — who 
knew  very  well  how  to  manage  anything  that  was  not  very 
serious. 

The  breeze  had  gradually  died  away,  and  we  did  not  go 
more  than  three  miles  through  the  water ;  and  as  our  sails 
were  much  torn,  we  did  not  hold  so  good  a  wind.  The  conse- 
quence was  that  the  distance  between  us  and  our  antagonist 
was,  by  two  o'clock,  decreased  to  half  a  mile,  and  the  fight 
became  very  warm.  Our  broadside  guns  were  now  called  into 
play,  and  assisted  us  very  much,  as  we  directed  them  chiefly 
at  her  sails  and  rigging,  while  our  long  thirty-two  pounder 

268 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

was  fired  at  her  hull,  pointed  below  her  water-line.  She  had 
the  advantage  in  number  of  guns,  certainly ;  but  our  large 
shots  from  the  long  gun  were  more  destructive. 

About  three  we  knocked  away  her  foretopmast,  which 
enabled  us  to  shoot  ahead  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile,  and 
increase  our  distance,  which  was  a  boon  to  us,  for  we  latterly 
had  suffered  very  much.  We  had  eight  men  wounded  and 
one  of  my  poor  middies  killed,  and  we  had  received  several 
shot  in  the  hull.  Now  that  we  had  increased  our  distance, 
we  had  a  better  chance,  as  our  long  gun  was  more  effective 
than  those  of  the  brig.  At  five  o'clock  it  fell  dead  calm, 
and  both  vessels  lay  with  their  heads  round  the  compass ; 
this  was  also  in  our  favour,  as  we  could  train  our  long  gun 
on  its  circular  bend  in  any  direction  we  pleased  ;  but  the 
brig  contrived,  by  getting  sweeps  out  of  her  bow  ports,  to 
bring  her  broadside  to  bear  upon  us,  and  the  action  continued 
till  night  closed  in. 


CHAPTER  XXV 

it  may  be  supposed,  my  men  were  completely  worn-out 
with  the  fatigue  and  excitement  of  the  day ;  and  Cross  said, 
"  There's  no  saying  how  this  will  end,  Mr.  Keene  ;  but,  at  all 
events,  we  have  not  the  worst  of  it  at  present." 

"  No,  Bob,"  replied  I.  "  I  wish  the  men  were  not  so 
knocked  up." 

"Oh,  as  for  that,  sir,  I'll  answer  for  it,  that  if  you  serve 
out  some  more  grog,  make  them  eat  half  a  biscuit  at  the  tub 
before  they  drink  it,  and  make  them  a  little  bit  of  a  speech, 
that  they'll  go  on  for  twenty-four  hours  more." 

"  If  that  will  have  the  effect,  I'm  sure  I'll  try  it,"  replied 
I.  "  Which  shall  they  have  first  ?  " 

"Oh,  biscuit  first,  grog  next,  and  then  a  speech  afterwards." 

"That  fellow  has  not  fired  for  this  last  five  minutes;  per- 
haps he  wishes  to  put  it  off  till  to-morrow  morning ;  but  I'll 
not.  So  get  up  the  grog — make  it  pretty  strong ;  and  I'll 
get  something  to  eat  myself,  for  I  have  had  nothing  to  eat 
all  day." 

As  soon  as  the  ship's  company  had  had  their  refreshment, 
269 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

I  sent  for  them  aft,  and  said,  "  My  lads,  you  have  behaved 
very  well,  and  I  am  much  obliged  to  you.  We  have  had 
hard  work,  and  I  dare  say  you  are  tired  enough ;  but  I  will 
tell  you  what  my  opinion  is :  I  think  we  have  peppered  that 
Frenchman  very  well ;  and  I  am  convinced  that  you  have 
put  a  good  many  shots  into  him  between  wind  and  water. 
Now,  that  he  is  anxious  to  leave  off  fighting  till  to-morrow 
morning,  that  he  may  stop  his  leaks  and  repair  his  damages, 
I  have  no  doubt ;  indeed,  he  proves  it  by  his  having  ceased 
to  fire.  For  the  very  reason  that  he  wants  to  leave  off,  I 
wish  to  go  on ;  for  he  is  much  heavier  armed  than  we  are, 
and  sails  as  well ;  and  if  we  permit  him  to  get  all  right 
and  all  ataut  by  to-morrow  morning,  he  may  prove  a  very 
awkward  customer  yet.  Now,  what  I  propose  is  this,  that 
we  should  first  get  up  fresh  sails,  and  bend  them,  and 
then  renew  the  action  through  the  night.  There  will  be 
no  occasion  for  all  of  you  to  be  on  deck ;  we  will  fight  the 
schooner  watch  and  watch  till  daylight." 

"  That's  my  opinion,  Mr.  Keene,"  said  Bob  Cross. 

"And  mine,"  replied  the  carpenter. 

"And  all  of  us,  Mr.  Keene,"  replied  the  ship's  company 
with  one  voice. 

"  Then,  my  lads,  let's  work  hard,  and  when  we  have 
settled  that  fellow,  we  shall  have  plenty  of  time  to  sleep." 

The  men  now  set  to  with  good  will ;  and  the  spare  sails 
were  got  up,  and  those  which  were  shattered  by  the  enemy 
unbent  and  replaced.  The  new  sails  which  we  had  bent  we 
furled — it  was  a  dead  calm — and  then  we  recommenced  our 
fire,  for  we  were  nearer  to  her  than  when  we  ceased  firing, 
and  could  distinguish  her  very  well.  We  fired  the  long  gun 
four  times  before  she  returned  a  shot ;  she  then  opened  very 
briskly,  but  none  of  her  shots  did  us  any  damage ;  our  sails 
being  furled,  prevented  her  distinguishing  us  so  well  as  we 
could  her.  After  a  time  we  manned  the  small  guns  on  our 
broadside,  and  worked  them ;  for  our  large  gun  was  so  hot, 
that  it  was  necessary  to  let  it  cool  before  we  could  reload  it. 
At  last  one  of  their  shots  came  in  through  the  bulwarks  ; 
the  splinters  wounded  me  and  the  carpenter ;  but  I  was  not 
so  much  hurt  as  to  oblige  me  to  leave  the  deck.  I  bound 
up  my  leg  with  my  handkerchief;  the  carpenter,  however, 
was  taken  down  below 

270 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

"  Are  you  much  hurt,  sir  ?  "  said  Bob  Cross. 

"  Oh  no ;  the  flesh  is  lacerated  a  good  deal,  but  it  is  not 
very  deep." 

"There's  a  little  wind  springing  up,  sir,  from  the  right 
quarter,"  said  Bob. 

"I'm  glad  to  hear  it/'  replied  I,  "for  it  will  soon  be  day- 
light now." 

At  this  moment  another  shot  struck  the  hammock  rail, 
and  a  piece  of  it  about  two  feet  long  was  sent  with  great 
force  against  Bob  Cross's  head  ;  he  was  stunned,  if  not  worse, 
and  fell  immediately.  This  was  a  severe  blow  to  me  as  well 
as  to  poor  Bob.  I  desired  two  of  the  men  who  were  abaft  to 
take  him  down  into  my  cabin,  and  do  all  they  could  for  him, 
and  ordered  the  men  to  quit  the  broadside  guns,  and  renew 
their  fire  with  the  long  thirty-two  pounder.  In  a  quarter  of 
an  hour  afterwards,  the  breeze  came  down  very  strong,  and 
I  resolved  to  shoot  ahead,  farther  off  from  my  antagonist, 
as  I  should  have  a  better  chance  by  using  my  long  gun  at  a 
greater  distance.  The  sails  were  set,  and  the  schooner  went 
fast  through  the  water,  leaving  the  brig,  who  had  also  the 
benefit  of  the  breeze ;  and  for  a  time  the  firing  again  ceased. 
On  reflection,  I  determined  that  I  would  wait  till  daylight, 
which  would  appear  in  less  than  half-an-hour,  before  I  re- 
newed the  action. 

I  contrived  with  some  difficulty — for  my  leg  was  so  numbed 
that  I  could  scarcely  feel  that  I  had  one — to  go  down  into 
the  cabin  and  see  Bob  Cross.  He  was  recovering,  but  very 
wild  and  incoherent.  As  far  as  I  could  judge,  his  skull  was 
not  injured,  although  the  splinter  had  torn  off  a  large  portion 
of  the  scalp,  and  he  was  drenched  with  his  blood.  At  all 
events,  he  could  be  of  no  further  assistance  to  me  at  present, 
nor  could  I  be  to  him,  so  I  regained  the  deck,  and  sat  down 
abaft,  for  my  leg  had  become  so  painful  that  I  could  not 
stand  but  for  a  few  minutes. 

At  last  the  day  dawned,  and  I  could  distinctly  make  out 
both  brig  and  schooner.  I  was  about  a  mile  and  a  half  dis- 
tant from  the  brig  ;  she  had,  since  the  wind  sprung  up,  driven 
a  mile  ahead  of  the  schooner,  who  had  contrived  to  get  up 
a  jury-mast  during  the  night ;  but  as  she  could  not  stir 
without  reducing  her  after-sail,  she  had  close-reefed  her 
main-sail,  so  that  she  could  make  but  little  progress.  The 

271 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

brig  was  very  much  cut  up  in  her  sails  and  rigging,  and  I 
saw  at  once  that  I  had  now  the  advantage  in  sailing;  I 
therefore  wore  round  and  stood  towards  them  ;  the  brig  did 
the  same,  and  went  down  to  the  schooner,  that  she  might 
have  her  support.  We  immediately  recommenced  firing  with 
our  long  gun,  and  as  soon  as  we  were  within  a  mile,  I  hove 
to.  The  brig  and  schooner  then  both  bore  up  and  gave  us 
their  broadsides  ;  they  had  just  done  so,  when  the  midshipman 
who  was  on  deck  with  me  cried  out,  "  A  large  sail  coming 
down  before  the  wind,  Mr.  Keene." 

I  caught  up  my  glass.  It  was  a  sloop-of-war ;  the  cut  of 
her  sails  and  rigging  evidently  English.  "  It  must  be  the 
Naiad,"  said  I.  "Well,  I'm  glad  of  it.  We  shall  lose  some 
prize-money ;  but  at  all  events  we  require  her  surgeon,  and 
that  is  of  more  consequence." 

My  men,  who  were  quite  tired  out,  were  in  great  spirits  at 
the  appearance  of  a  friend.  The  brig  had  set  studding-sails  ; 
she  had  evidently  seen  the  vessel  to  windward,  and  was  now 
trying  to  escape,  and  the  schooner  was  following  her  as  well 
as  she  could.  I  immediately  kept  away  in  pursuit,  and  when 
I  fired  into  the  schooner  she  hauled  down  her  colours.  I 
did  not  wait  to  take  possession,  but  followed  the  brig,  who 
appeared  to  sail  as  well  off  the  wind  as  she  did  when  close- 
hauled.  Once  or  twice  she  rounded  to  return  my  fire,  but 
afterwards  she  continued  running  before  the  wind,  having 
got  two  of  her  guns  aft,  with  which  she  attempted  to  cut 
away  my  rigging.  In  the  meantime  the  strange  vessel  to 
windward  had  hoisted  English  colours,  and  was  bringing 
down  with  her  a  spanking  breeze ;  fortunately  it  was  so,  for 
my  foretopmast  was  knocked  away  by  the  fire  of  the  brig, 
and  I  now  dropped  fast  astern. 

We  had  scarcely  got  up  a  new  foretopmast  and  set  sail 
again,  when  the  Naiad,  who  had  exchanged  numbers  with 
me,  passed  the  schooner  without  taking  possession  of  her, 
and  was  very  soon  not  a  mile  from  us.  In  half-an-hour  she 
was  alongside,  and,  hailing  me  to  haul  my  wind  and  take 
possession  of  the  schooner,  continued  in  chase  of  the  brig.  I 
obeyed  my  orders,  and  by  the  time  I  had  put  my  men  on 
board  of  the  schooner,  the  brig  had  hove  to  and  hauled 
down  her  colours  to  the  Naiad. 

We  ran  down  to  her  in  company  with  the  prize,  and  then 

272 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

sent  a  boat  requesting  immediate  surgical  attendance.  The 
Naiad's  surgeon  and  his  assistant  were  brought  on  board  in 
one  of  the  sloop-of-war's  boats,  and  a  lieutenant,  to  obtain 
from  me  the  particulars  of  the  action,  which  I  gave  to  him. 
The  lieutenant  told  me  that  they  had  heard  the  firing  about 
one  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  had  in  consequence  bore  up ; 
but  the  brig  had  so  many  shot  in  her,  and  was  making  so 
much  water,  that  they  were  almost  afraid  that  they  would 
not  be  able  to  get  her  into  port.  But  I  was  now  quite  faint 
with  the  pain  of  my  wound  and  exhaustion,  and  was  carried 
below  to  have  it  dressed.  All  our  men  had  been  attended 
to,  and  I  was  glad  to  hear  that  Bob  Cross  was  in  no  danger, 
although  his  wound  was  very  severe.  The  surgeon's  assistant 
was  allowed  to  remain  on  board,  and  the  captain  of  the  Naiad 
sent  all  my  men  back  and  manned  the  prizes,  giving  me 
orders  to  keep  company  with  him.  As  soon  as  my  wound 
was  dressed,  and  I  was  put  into  my  bed,  I  felt  much  relieved, 
and  soon  afterwards  fell  fast  asleep. 


CHAPTER  XXVI 

_l  HE  prizes  proved  to  be  the  Diligcnte  brig,  of  fourteen 
guns,  and  two  hundred  and  ten  men,  and  Caroline  schooner, 
of  eight  guns,  and  one  hundred  and  twenty  men ;  they  had 
done  a  great  deal  of  mischief,  and  their  capture  was  of 
importance.  The  captain  of  the  Naiad's  orders  were  to 
return  to  Cura9oa,  and  we  all  made  sail  before  sunset. 
Our  loss  had  been  severe  :  commanding  officer,  boatswain, 
carpenter,  and  twelve  men  wounded — midshipman  and  two 
men  killed. 

The  next  morning  our  signal  was  made  to  pass  within 
hail,  and  the  captain  of  the  Naiad  inquired  how  I  was.  The 
surgeon's  assistant  replied  that  I  and  all  the  wounded  were 
doing  well,  and  there  was  no  more  communication  till  we 
arrived  at  Curacoa  on  the  fourth  day,  by  which  time  I  was 
rapidly  recovering. 

Mr.  Fraser,  as  soon  as  he  heard  of  my  being  hurt,  imme- 
diately came  on  board,  and  insisted  on  my  being  taken  on 

273  s 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

shore  to  his  house,  and  I  gladly  consented.  The  next  day  I 
had  a  visit  from  Captain  C.,  the  commanding  officer,  and  the 
captain  of  the  Naiad.  Captain  C.  asked  me  if  I  was  well 
enough  to  write  the  account  of  the  action.  I  replied  that  I 
was,  and  that  I  would  send  it  the  next  day.  He  and  the 
captain  of  the  Naiad  both  paid  me  many  compliments  for 
having  fought  a  superior  force  for  so  long  a  time,  and 
Captain  C.  said,  that  as  soon  as  I  was  well  enough  he  would 
send  me  up  to  Jamaica,  as  bearer  of  rny  own  despatches  to 
the  admiral. 

I  requested,  as  a  particular  favour  of  Mr.  Fraser,  that  he 
would  allow  Bob  Cross  to  be  sent  ashore  to  his  house,  and 
Mr.  Fraser  immediately  consented.  My  friend  Bob  was 
therefore  brought  up  that  evening,  and  was  soon  established 
in  very  comfortable  quarters. 

We  had  been  a  fortnight  at  the  island,  during  which  my 
wound  was  healing  rapidly,  and  I  was  able  to  hop  about 
with  a  crutch.  Cross  also  was  out  of  bed,  and  able  to  sit  up 
for  an  hour  or  two  in  the  verandah,  in  the  cool  of  which  I 
spent  the  best  part  of  the  day,  with  my  wounded  limb  rest- 
ing upon  a  sofa.  From  the  verandah  we  had  a  view  of  the 
harbour,  and  one  morning  I  perceived  that  there  were  two 
additional  vessels  which  had  anchored  during  the  night.; 
they  proved  to  be  the  Driver  and  the  brigantine  privateer, 
which  she  had  captured  after  a  chase  and  running  fight  of 
forty-eight  hours.  I  was  glad  of  this,  as  I  knew  what 
pleasure  it  would  give  to  the  admiral, 

I  now  again  indulged  in  my  dreams  of  Minnie,  who  had 
been  forgotten  as  soon  as  I  had  left  the  harbour  and  been 
engaged  in  active  service.  Stretched  upon  a  sofa,  with  my 
wounded  leg,  I  had  nothing  else  to  do,  or  rather  nothing 
else  which  was  so  agreeable  to  me.  I  wrote  to  her  again, 
and  also  to  my  mother;  neither  did  I  forget  that  Lord  de 
Versely  had  requested  at  parting  that  I  should  write  to  him. 
I  did  so  in  a  very  respectful  manner,  detailing  what  had 
occurred. 

When  we  had  been  three  weeks  at  Cura9oa,  all  our 
wounded,  as  well  as  myself,  had  so  far  recovered,  that  there 
was  no  reason  for  the  Firefly  not  proceeding  to  Jamaica. 
The  commanding  officer  sent  an  assistant-surgeon  to  the 
schooner.  I  received  my  despatches,  took  a  grateful  leave 

274 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

of  Mr.  Fraser,  and  the  Firefly  was  once  more  skimming  over 
the  water.  In  three  weeks  we  arrived  at  Port  Royal,  and  I 
took  up  my  despatches. 

"Happy  to  see  you,  Keene/'  said  the  admiral.  "Hollo! 
what  makes  you  limp  iu  that  way  ?  Have  you  hurt 
your  leg  ?  " 

"Yes,  sir,"  replied  I;  "I'm  not  quite  well  yet,  but  the 
despatches  of  Captain  C.  will  explain  all." 

As  no  vessel  had  sailed  from  Cui^oa,  the  admiral  had  no 
idea  of  what  had  happened. 

"Well,  then,"  said  he,  "sit  down  on  that  sofa,  Mr.  Keene, 
while  I  read  the  despatches." 

I  watched  the  admiral's  countenance,  and  was  delighted  to 
witness  the  evident  signs  of  satisfaction  which  he  expressed 
as  he  read  on. 

"  Excellent ! "  said  he,  as  he  closed  them.  "  Keene,  you 
have  done  me  a  great  favour.  The  remonstrances  of  the 
merchants,  the  badgering  I  have  received  from  the  Ad- 
miralty by  every  packet,  relative  to  the  depredations  on  our 
commerce  by  these  vessels,  have  been  enough  to  make  a 
saint  swear.  Now  they  are  happily  disposed  of,  and  I  have 
chiefly  to  thank  you  for  it.  Captain  C.  informs  me  that  the 
brig  is  well  adapted  for  his  Majesty's  service,  but  the 
schooner  is  an  old  vessel."  The  admiral  then  left  the  room. 
In  a  few  minutes  he  returned  with  a  paper  in  his  hand, 
which  he  laid  upon  the  table,  and,  taking  up  a  pen,  he 
signed  it  and  presented  it  to  me,  saying — 

"  Captain  Keene,  I  trust  you  will  give  me  the  pleasure 
of  your  company  to  dinner ;  and,  as  you  are  still  very  lame, 
I  think  you  had  better  make  a  signal  for  your  servant  and 
traps,  and  take  up  your  quarters  at  the  Penn  till  you  are 
quite  recovered." 

Perceiving  that  I  was  too  much  agitated  to  reply,  he  con- 
tinued, "  I  must  leave  you  now ; "  then  extending  his  hand, 
he  said,  "  Allow  me  to  be  the  first  to  wish  you  joy  on  your 
promotion,  which  you  have  so  well  deserved."  He  then 
went  out  of  the  room.  It  really  was  so  unexpected — so 
little  dreamt  of,  this  sudden  promotion,  that  I  was  confused. 
I  had  hoped  that,  by  a  continuance  of  good  conduct,  I  might 
in  a  year  or  two  obtain  it ;  but  that  I  should  receive  it  after 
only  one  cruise  in  the  schooner  was  beyond  all  my  imagina- 

275 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

tion.  I  felt  grateful,  and  as  soon  as  I  was  more  composed 
I  returned  thanks  to  Heaven,  and  vowed  eternal  gratitude 
to  the  admiral.  I  felt  that  I  was  a  step  nearer  to  Lord  de 
Versely,  and  I  thought  of  the  pleasure  it  would  give  my 
mother  and  Minnie.  I  had  been  alone  about  half-an-hour, 
when  the  admiral  returned. 

"I  have  just  sent  for  an  old  messmate  of  yours,  Captain 
Keene,  who  was  severely  wounded  in  your  action  with  the 
Dutch  frigate  ;  he  has  now  passed,  and  Lord  de  Versely 
recommended  him  to  me  as  a  deserving  young  officer — a 
Mr.  Dott." 

"  Oh  yes,  admiral ;  he  was  my  first  acquaintance  when  I 
went  to  sea.  He  has  been  to  sea  longer  than  I  have,  but 
he  has  lost  a  good  deal  of  his  time." 

"  Well,  I  am  going  to  give  him  an  acting  order  for  your 
brig.  I  hope  he  is  a  good,  smart  officer." 

"  Yes,  admiral,  he  is  a  very  good  officer  indeed/'  replied  I, 
laughing.  "  Will  you  oblige  me  by  not  telling  him  that  I 
am  to  be  his  captain,  till  after  we  have  met  ?  " 

"  Ah,  some  mischief,  I  suppose ;  but  if  we  make  captains 
of  such  boys  as  you,  we  must  expect  that.  Are  your  wounded 
men  all  going  on  well  ?  " 

"  All,  sir, — even  Bob  Cross,  the  boatswain,  whose  head  was 
half  knocked  off,  is  quite  well  again.  He  was  Lord  de 
Versely's  coxswain,  sir,  and  you  were  kind  enough  to  give 
him  his  warrant." 

"  I  recollect — a  good  man,  is  he  not  ?  " 

"So  good,  sir,  that  the  only  regret  I  have  in  leaving  the 
schooner  is,  that  I  cannot  take  him  with  me.  He  is  my 
right-hand  man,  and  I  owe  much  to  him,  and  it  will  be  a 
sore  blow  to  him  as  well  as  to  me." 

"  I  see,  you  want  him  made  boatswain  of  your  brig." 

"  I  assure  you,  admiral,  I  should  be  most  grateful  if  you 
would  have  that  kindness." 

"  I  am  always  ready  to  promote  a  good  man ;  your  recom- 
mending him,  and  his  severe  wound,  are  sufficient.  He  shall 
be  your  boatswain,  Keene." 

"  You  are  very  kind,  sir,"  replied  I.  "  I  hope  I  shall  do 
justice  to  your  patronage." 

"  I've  no  fear  of  that,  Keene,  and  I  know  that  a  man,  to 
•work  well,  should  as  far  as  he  can  choose  his  own  tools. 

276 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

Mr.  Dott  is  waiting  now,  and  as  SOOH  as  he  lias  his  acting 
order,  I  will  send  him  in  to  you." 

About  ten  minutes  afterwards  Mr.  Tommy  Dott  made  his 
appearance ;  he  extended  his  hand  to  me,  saying  in  a  haw- 
haw  way,  "  Keene,  my  dear  fellow,  I'm  glad  to  see  you.''  He 
certainly  did  look  two  or  three  inches  taller,  for  he  walked 
almost  on  tiptoe. 

"  Glad  to  see  you,  Tommy,"  said  I ;  "  well,  what's  the 
news  ? " 

"Nothing,  I  believe,  except  what  you  have  brought.  I 
hear  you  had  a  bit  of  a  brush,  and  got  winged." 

"Even  so,  Tommy,"  replied  I,  pointing  to  my  wounded 
leg.  "The  admiral  has  kindly  asked  me  to  stay  here  until 
I'm  better." 

"I  dine  with  him  to-day,"  replied  Tommy;  "but  as  for 
staying  here,  I  should  think  that  rather  a  bore.  By-the- 
bye,  Keene,  what  sort  of  a  craft  is  that  Diligente  brig  which 
the  Naiad  and  you  took  ?  " 

"  A  very  fine  craft,  Tommy  :  sails  as  well  as  the  Firefly." 

"  Oh,  you  of  course  swear  by  your  own  vessel ;  and  there's 
nothing  like  the  schooner — that's  natural  enough  :  now,  I 
must  say,  I  prefer  something  a  little  larger,  and,  therefore, 
I'm  not  sorry  that  I  have  my  commission  for  the  new  brig." 

"  Indeed  !  Tommy  ;  I  wish  you  joy,"  replied  I. 

"Thank  ye,  Keene,"  replied  Tommy,  very  dignified.  "I 
wonder,"  said  he,  "what  sort  of  a  skipper  we  shall  have. 
There's  the  first  lieutenant  of  the  Naiad  has  a  good  chance. 
I  saw  him :  a  very  sharp  sort  of  gentleman,  and  carries  his 
head  remarkably  high  ;  but  that  won't  do  for  me.  I'll  not 
allow  any  captain  to  play  tricks  in  a  ship  that  I'm  aboard  of. 
I  know  the  rules  and  regulations  of  the  service  as  well  as 
any  one,  and  that  the  captain  shall  see,  if  he  attempts  to 
go  beyond  his  tether." 

"Now,  Tommy,"  replied  I,  "you  know,  that  although  you 
talk  so  big,  if  you  had  been  appointed  a  lieutenant  into  a 
ship  commanded  by  Lord  de  Versely,  you  would  have  been 
as  much  afraid  of  him  as  a  lieutenant  as  you  used  to  be  as  a 
midshipman." 

"  Lord  de  Versely,"  replied  Tommy,  who  felt  the  truth  of 
what  I  said :  "  he's  a  peculiar  sort  of  man." 

"Take  my  word  for  it,  Tommy,  you'll  find  all  captains 

277- 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

peculiar  to  one  point ;  which  is,  that  they  expect  respectful 
behaviour,  and  not  cavilling,  from  their  officers ;  and  our 
service  is  so  peculiar,  that  it  is  absolutely  necessary  that  the 
officers  should  set  this  example  to  the  men." 

"Yes,  that  may  be  very  well  ;  but  who  knows  that  the 
captain  of  the  brig  may  be  some  young  fellow,  who  has  seen 
no  more  service  than  myself — perhaps  not  been  to  sea  so 
long  ?  " 

"  That  is  no  reason  that  you  should  not  obey  his  orders ; 
indeed,  if  not  experienced,  you  ought  to  do  all  you  can  to 
support  him." 

"  Well,  if  he  was  to  ask  my  advice,  indeed " 

"  But  he  may  not  require  your  advice,  Tommy ;  he  may 
prefer  deciding  for  himself.  Now,  the  first  lieutenant  of  the 
Naiad  is  a  great  tartar,  and  I'm  certain,  if  he  is  your  captain, 
that,  on  the  first  word,  he  would  have  you  under  an  arrest. 
There's  an  old  saying,  Tommy,  '  It's  folly  to  kick  against 
tenpenny  nails ; '  and  that  every  officer  does  who  kicks 
against  his  superior.  I  can  assure  you,  Tommy,  that  if  ever 
I  am  a  captain,  my  officers  shall  obey  me  implicitly.  I  will 
have  no  cavilling  at  my  orders.  I  will  always  treat  them 
as  gentlemen,  and  support  their  authority  as  they  ought  to 
support  mine ;  but  captain  of  my  own  ship  I  would  be,  and  I 
suspect  that  it  would  go  hard  with  any  officer  who  ventured 
to  dispute  my  rights." 

"  Well,  I  dare  say  you  will  be  a  martinet,  or  rather  that  you 
are  one  now,  as  you  command  a  schooner.  However,  as  I 
never  intend  to  sail  with  you,  that's  nothing  to  me.  I'm 
sure,  from  what  has  passed,  that  you  and  I  should  have  a 
row  before  we  were  a  week  on  board ;  for  I'm  not  to  be 
played  with." 

"  Well,  Tommy,  I'm  very  glad  we  have  had  this  explana- 
tion ;  for  now  we  both  know  what  to  expect.  I  am  resolved 
to  be  captain,  you  to  resist  my  authority." 

"No,  no,  I  don't  say  that — I  only  say  that  I  won't  be 
played  with — I  won't  be  trifled  with." 

"  Tommy,  I  will  neither  play  nor  trifle  with  you,  nor  will 
you  ever  play  or  trifle  with  me.  We  have  done  that  as 
midshipmen ;  in  our  new  relative  situations  it  is  not  to  be 
thought  of  for  a  moment.  Read  this."  I  handed  him  my 
appointment  as  commander  of  the  Diligente  :  Tommy  cast  his 

278  • 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

eyes  over  it,  and  at  once  saw  that  his  promotion  did  not 
prevent  his  getting  into  scrapes,  as  usual. 

"  You  a  commander  !  you  captain  of  the  D'digcnte  I  Why, 
I  came  to  sea  before  you." 

"  I  know  you  did,  Tommy  ;  but,  although  you  have  been  in 
the  service  longer,  you  have  not  seen  quite  so  much  service  as 
I  have.  At  all  events,  I'm  now  your  captain.  I  flatter  myself 
I  shall  make  a  very  tolerable  one  ;  and  what  is  more,  I  have 
an  idea  that  you  will  make  a  very  good  lieutenant,  as  soon  as 
the  vanity,  with  which  you  have  been  puffed  up  since  your 
receiving  your  promotion,  will  have  settled  down  a  little,  and 
that  you  will  find  it  much  pleasanter  to  be  on  good  terms 
with  your  captain  than  to  be  eternally  in  hot  water,  especially 
with  one  who,  you  know,  is  not  a  person  to  be  played  with." 

Tommy  looked  very  confused  ;  he  said  nothing,  but  kept 
his  eyes  on  my  commission,  which  he  still  held  in  his  hand. 
I  had  no  idea  that  Tommy  Dott's  being  ignorant  of  my  being 
captain  of  the  brig  would  have  occasioned  such  a  conversation 
as  this.  I  only  wished  to  amuse  myself  with  him,  and  surprise 
him  at  the  last.  Tommy  perceived  that  he  had  made  a  mess 
of  it,  and  he  stammered  out  some  explanation  as  he  returned 
me  the  commission  ;  and  I  replied  :  "  The  fact  is,  Dott,  you 
were  merely  cutting  a  caper  upon  your  new  promotion  ;  you 
never  meant  what  you  said ;  it  was  all  talk.  You  always 
have  been  very  obedient  to  proper  authority  since  I  have 
known  you,  and  I  am  sure  that  you  always  will ;  so  let's  say 
no  more  about  it.  I  wish  you  joy  upon  your  promotion,  and, 
what's  more,  I'm  very  glad  that  we  are  to  sail  together." 
Saying  this,  I  held  out  my  hand,  which  Tommy  took  very 
readily,  and  we  then  began  to  talk  on  other  subjects. 


CHAPTER  XXVII 

_L  HAD  written  to  Cross,  informing  him  of  my  promotion, 
and  his  being  appointed  to  the  Diligente. 

I  had  been  a  fortnight  with  the  admiral  when  the  Naiad 
arrived  with  the  prizes  in  company,  and,  my  wound  being 
now  cured,  I  took  leave  of  the  admiral  and  went  down,  that 

279 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

I  might  superintend  the  fitting  out  of  my  new  vessel.  As 
there  were  supernumerary  men  expected  out  of  England,  the 
admiral,  at  my  suggestion,  allowed  me  to  turn  over  the  crew 
of  the  Firefly  to  form  the  nucleus  of  my  ship's  company,  and 
made  up  my  complement  from  his  own  ship. 

In  two  months  I  was  ready  for  sea,  and  most  anxious  to 
be  off.  The  admiral  perceived  my  impatience,  but,  as  there 
was  no  other  vessel  in  the  harbour,  he  would  not  let  me 
go  until  another  arrived,  to  be  at  his  disposal  in  case  of 
emergency.  The  weariness  of  so  long  remaining  in  harbour 
was,  however,  a  little  relieved  by  a  circumstance  which 
took  place,  and  which  probably  will  make  my  readers 
imagine  that  my  propensity  for  playing  tricks  was  not  quite 
eradicated. 

I  lodged  at  a  sort  of  hotel,  kept  by  a  mulatto  woman  of 
the  name  of  Crissobella,  as  the  negroes  termed  her,  originally 
Christobella.  She  was  of  Spanish  blood  by  the  father's  side, 
and  had  come  down  from  the  Havannah.  She  was  very 
portly ;  very  proud  and  dignified  in  her  carnage,  and  de- 
manded as  much  attention  from  her  lodgers  as  a  lady  would 
who  had  received  us  as  her  guests,  so  that,  to  gain  and  retain 
admittance  into  her  hostelry,  it  was  necessary  not  only  to 
pay  a  large  bill,  but  compliments  to  an  equal  amount.  She 
was  very  rich,  possessed  numerous  slaves,  and  was  perfectly 
independent  of  keeping  an  hotel.  I  believed  she  preferred 
to  have  something  for  her  slaves  and  herself  to  do,  and 
moreover,  probably,  she  felt  that  if  she  retired  she  should 
be  thought  a  person  of  no  consequence,  whereas  in  her 
present  position  she  received  a  great  deal  of  attention.  One 
thing  was  certain,  that  if  those  who  lodged  and  boarded 
with  her  were  very  polite,  and,  on  their  return  from  any 
other  place,  brought  her  small  presents,  she  was  very  in- 
different as  to  their  paying  their  bill ;  nay,  to  those  who 
were  her  favourites,  her  purse  was  open,  and  a  handful  of 
doubloons  was  freely  tendered,  if  required. 

The  living  was  the  same  as  at  a  boarding-house.  Break- 
fast was  ready  in  the  large  hall  by  nine  o'clock,  and  remained 
there  until  every  one  had  come  down  at  their  own  hour. 
Dinner  was  always  ready  at  five  o'clock,  and  then  Crissobella 
presided  at  the  table.  She  admitted  civilians,  army  officers, 
and  navy,  down  to  midshipmen ;  but  warrant  officers  and 

280 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

captains  of  merchant  vessels  were  considered  too  low.  On 
the  whole,  it  was  a  very  pleasant  establishment,  as  the 
private  rooms  were  well  furnished,  the  slaves  numerous,  and 
the  attendance  very  good.  Considering  the  price  of  most 
eatables  on  that  island,  it  could  not  be  considered  as  very 
dear,  although  the  wines,  &c.,  made  up  a  formidable  bill  at 
the  end  of  the  month. 

This  kind  of  exclusiveness  on  the  part  of  Signora  Crisso- 
bella  made  the  hotel  quite  the  fashion,  and  certainly  it  was 
by  far  the  best  in  the  town.  The  inmates  of  it  at  this  time 
were,  besides  me,  Lieutenant  Thomas  Dott  and  Lieutenant 
William  Maxwell,  both  appointed  to  the  Diligente ;  three  or 
four  young  civilians,  on  mercantile  speculations,  from  New 
York ;  three  midshipmen,  who  had  been  left  behind  on 
account  of  fever,  and  who  were  promising  fair,  by  the  life 
they  were  now  leading,  to  be  very  soon  sent  to  the  hospital 
again  ;  and  one  or  two  planters  from  the  other  islands.  The 
latter  and  I  were  very  well  behaved,  but  the  civilians  were 
noisy,  drinking  and  smoking  from  morning  till  night.  The 
midshipmen  were  equally  troublesome ;  and  as  for  the  new- 
made  lieutenants,  they  were  so  authoritative  and  so  dis- 
agreeable, and  gave  themselves  such  consequential  airs,  that 
Mammy  Crissobella,  as  the  slaves  called  hei%  was  quite 
indignant  —  she  had  never  had  such  a  disorderly  set  in 
her  house. 

She  complained  to  me,  and  I  spoke  to  them,  but  that  was 
of  little  use.  I  had  no  power  over  the  young  merchants,  and 
the  three  midshipmen  did  not  belong  to  my  ship.  As  for 
my  lieutenants,  I  could  not  say  much  at  their  giving  them- 
selves airs  at  an  hotel  where  they  paid  for  what  they  had. 
It  was  not  an  offence  that  a  captain  could  remonstrate  upon. 
I  therefore  merely  said,  that  Mammy  Crissobella  could  not 
have  them  in  her  house  if  they  did  not  leave  off  their  treat- 
ment of  the  slaves,  and  if  they  continued  to  give  her  so 
much  trouble  and  annoyance.  At  last  our  hostess  would 
stand  their  behaviour  no  longer,  and  ordered  them  all  to 
leave  the  hotel,  sending  in  their  bills ;  but  they  all  were 
unanimous  in  declaring  that  they  would  not  go,  and  it  was 
not  very  easy  to  use  force  on  such  occasions.  I  tried  all  I 
could  to  make  matters  right,  but  my  efforts  were  of  little 
avail.  At  last  Mammy  Crissobella  became  quite  furious, 

281 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

She  did  not  make  any  alteration  in  the  meals,  as  that  would 
be  punishing  all  of  us ;  but  she  refused  wine  and  spirits ; 
this  they  did  not  care  for,  as  they  sent  for  it  elsewhere  by 
their  own  servants,  and  there  was  nothing  but  noise  and  con- 
fusion all  day  long.  Mammy  often  came  to  appeal  to  me, 
and  wished  to  go  to  the  governor,  but  I  persuaded  her  not  to 
do  so ;  and  the  mutiny  continued,  and  every  day  there  was 
nothing  but  altercation  at  the  meals. 

"  So  help  me  God,  gemmen,  you  no  gemmen.  You  make 
wish  me  dead,  dat  you  do.  I  take  obeah  water  some  day.  I 
not  live  like  this,"  said  Mammy  Crissobella.  "  I  take  pepper- 
pot — I  kill  myself." 

"  Pray  don't  do  that,"  replied  Tommy  Dott ;  "  we  shall  be 
put  to  the  expense  of  mourning." 

"  And  I  shall  weep  my  eyes  out,"  continued  one  of  the 
mercantile  gentlemen. 

"Weep  your  eyes  out — is  that  all?  I  shall  blow  my 
brains  out,"  said  another. 

"  And  I  will  lie  down  on  your  grave  and  die,"  said  the  third. 

"  Dat  all  very  well,  gemmen ;  you  say  dat  and  laugh — 
bat  I  no  slave.  'Pose  I  not  get  you  out  my  house,  I  ab  vengeance, 
now  I  tell  you,  so  look  to  dat.  Yes,"  continued  Mammy 
Crissobella,  striking  the  table  with  her  fist,  "  I  ab  revenge." 

"I  have  been  thinking,"  said  one  of  the  mids,  "what  I 
shall  do  if  Mammy  Crissobella  takes  pepper-pot;  I  shall 
marry  Leila,  and  keep  the  hotel.  Mammy,  you'll  leave  me 
the  plate  and  furniture." 

Leila  was  the  head  female  slave — a  very  well-featured 
young  mulatto  girl,  and  a  great  favourite,  as  she  was  always 
laughing,  always  in  good  humour,  and  very  kind  and  attentive. 
At  this  remark  Leila  laughed,  and  Mammy  Crissobella,  who 
observed  her  showing  her  white  teeth,  said,  "  You  laugh,  you 
hussy:  what  you  laugh  for,  Leila?  Get  away — get  out  of 
room.  I  give  you  nice  flogging,  by-by.  You  dare  laugh — 
you  take  side  against  me,  you  nigger." 

I  must  here  observe  that  Mammy  Crissobella  had  been 
closeted  with  me  for  some  time  previous  to  this  scene,  and 
that  Leila  and  the  two  planters  were  in  the  secret ;  this  was, 
of  course,  unknown,  and  the  hostess's  anger  appeared  now  to 
be  extended  towards  me  and  the  two  planters,  with  whom 
she  had  been  on  good  terms. 

282 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

Shortly  afterwards  Mammy  rose  and  left  the  room,  and 
then  I  spoke  to  the  party,  and  told  them  that  they  were 
driving  the  poor  woman  to  extremities.  The  planters  agreed 
with  me,  and  we  argued  the  case  with  them,  but  the  majority 
were,  of  course,  against  us,  and  the  young  merchants  appeared 
to  be  very  much  inclined  to  be  personal  with  me.  At  last  I 
replied,  "Very  well,  gentlemen — as  you  please;  but  as  I 
happen  to  be  well  known  both  to  the  admiral  and  governor, 
I  give  you  fair  warning  that,  if  this  continues  much  longer, 
I  will  report  the  affair.  I  should  be  very  sorry  to  do  so; 
but  the  house  is  now  very  uncomfortable,  and  you  have 
no  right  to  remain  when  the  landlady  insists  upon  your 
going." 

At  this  reply  of  mine  the  naval  portion  of  the  guests  were 
silent,  but  the  civilians  more  insolent  than  before.  I  did  not 
wish  to  come  to  open  war,  so  I  said  nothing  more,  and  left 
the  table.  After  I  was  gone,  the  refractory  parties  made 
more  noise  than  ever.  Just  before  the  dinner  hour  on  the 
following  day,  Mammy  Crissobella  sent  a  circular  round  to 
the  young  men,  stating  that  she  could  not  receive  them  at 
dinner.  They  all  laughed  and  went  down  to  table  as  before. 
The  dinner  was  better  than  usual,  and  they  complimented 
Mammy  upon  it.  Mammy,  who  had  taken  her  seat  with  a 
scowl  on  her  brow,  and  had  not  spoken  a  word,  merely  bowed 
her  head  in  reply  to  their  observations. 

Dinner  was  over,  and  then  Mammy  desired  Leila  to  bring 
her  a  goblet  which  was  on  the  sideboard,  and  a  small  white 
jug  which  was  in  the  buffet.  She  appeared  much  distressed, 
and  hesitated  a  good  deal,  putting  the  goblet  to  her  lips,  and 
then  putting  it  down  on  the  table  without  tasting  it.  This 
conduct  induced  us  all  to  look  seriously  at  her.  At  last  she 
took  it  up,  sighed  deeply,  and  drank  the  whole  off  at  a 
draught.  For  a  few  seconds  she  held  her  hands  over  her 
forehead,  with  her  elbows  resting  on  the  table.  At  last  she 
looked  up  and  said,  "  Gemmen,  I  got  a  little  speech  to  make 
— I  very  sorry  dat  I  not  di'ink  your  health ;  but  it  no  use — 
dat  why  you  see  me  drink  ;  I  tell  plenty  time  you  make  me 
mad — you  make  me  drink  obeah  water — make  me  kill  my- 
self. Now  I  ab  done  it — I  drink  pison  water  just  now.  In 
two  hour  I  dead  woman." 

At  this  communication,  the  truth  of  which  appeared  con- 

283 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

firmed  by  the  woman's  behaviour,  all  the  company  started 
from  their  chairs. 

"  Gemmen,  I  dare  say  you  all  very  sorry ;  you  be  more 

sorry  by-and-by.  Captain,  I  beg  your  pardon;  Mr.  W , 

Mr.  G (the  two  planters),  I  beg  your  pardon ;  I  not  mean 

hurt  you,  but  could  not  help  it.  Now  I  tell  all  company,  all 
drink  the  pison  water — because  I  not  like  die  on  the  jibbit, 
I  drink  de  pison  water — Gemmen,  your  dinner  all  pison,  and 
you  all  pisoned.  Yes,  all  pisoned,"  cried  Mammy  Crissobella 
at  the  highest  pitch  of  her  voice,  and  rushing  out  of  the 
room. 

At  this  announcement,  I  started  from  my  chair  and  clasped 
my  hands,  as  if  in  agony.  I  looked  round — never  did  I 
witness  such  a  variety  of  horror  as  was  expressed  in  the 
different  faces  at  the  hotel.  The  old  planter,  Mr.  D.,  who 
sat  next  to  me,  and  who  was  in  the  secret  as  well  as  Mr.  G., 
laid  his  head  on  the  table  with  a  groan.  "The  Lord  have 
mercy  on  my  sins,"  exclaimed  Mr.  G. ;  Mr.  Lieutenant 
Maxwell  looked  me  in  the  face,  and  then  burst  into  tears; 
and  Mr.  Lieutenant  Dott  put  his  fingers  down  his  throat, 
with  three  or  four  more  getting  rid  of  their  dinner  as  fast 
as  they  could. 

At  last  I  sprang  up  to  ring  the  bell ;  no  one  answered.  I 
rang  again  more  furiously.  At  last  a  slave  appeared. 

"  Where's  my  servant  ?  " 

"  Not  here,  sar." 

"  Where's  all  the  people  of  the  house  ? " 

"  All  with  missy,  sar ;   Mammy  Crissobella  die." 

ee  Run  down  then  to  the  beach,  and  desire  the  surgeon  of 
the  brig  to  come  up  immediately." 

"Yes,  sar,"  replied  the  negro,  leaving  the  room. 

"  Oh,  I  feel  it  now — it's  all  here,"  exclaimed  I,  putting 
my  hand  to  my  chest ;  "  I'm  suffocating." 

"  And  so  do  I,"  replied  one  of  the  midshipmen,  weeping. 

The  girl  Leila  now  entered  the  room  in  tears.  "  Mammy 
dead,"  said  she.  "  Oh !  Captain  Keene,  I  very  sorry  for 
you :  you  come  with  me,  I  give  you  something.  I  know 
how  stop  pison." 

"  Do  you,  Leila  ?  then  give  it  me  ;  quick,  quick." 

"  Yes,  yes ;  give  it  us  quick." 

"I  not  stuff  enough,  but  I  make  more  when  I  gib  what  I 

284 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

ab  to  Captain  Keene.  You  all  stay  still,  not  move  ;  pose  you 
move  about,  make  pison  work.  I  come  back  soon  as  I  can." 

Leila  then  took  my  arm  and  led  me  tottering  out  of  the 
room,  when  I  went  to  Mammy  Crissobella,  and  laughed  till 
I  cried ;  but  the  punishment  was  not  over.  After  remaining 
about  ten  minutes  looking  at  each  other,  but  neither  speak- 
ing nor  moving,  in  pursuance  of  Leila's  direction,  with  the 
utmost  despair  in  their  countenances,  they  were  gladdened 
by  the  return  of  Leila  with  a  large  jug,  out  of  which  she 
administered  a  glass  of  some  compound  or  another  to  each 
of  them.  I  watched  at  the  door,  and  the  eagerness  with 
which  they  jostled  and  pushed  each  other  to  obtain  the  dose 
before  the  rest  was  very  amusing,  and  never  did  they  swallow 
any  liquor  with  so  much  avidity,  little  imagining  that,  instead 
of  taking  what  was  to  cure  them,  they  were  now  taking 
what  was  to  make  them  very  sick.  But  so  it  was ;  and  in  a 
few  minutes  afterwards  the  scene  of  groaning,  crying,  scream- 
ing, writhing  with  pain,  was  quite  awful. 

After  a  time,  the  slaves  came  in  and  carried  them  all  to 
their  respective  beds,  leaving  them  to  their  own  reflections, 
and  the  violent  effects  of  the  drugs  administered,  which  left 
them  no  repose  for  that  night,  and  in  a  state  of  utter  ex- 
haustion on  the  following  morning.  At  daylight  I  went  into 
Mr.  Dott's  room  with  the  surgeon,  to  whom  I  had  confided 
the  secret.  Tommy  was  a  miserable  object. 

"Thank  Heaven!  here  is  one  still  alive,"  said  the  surgeon 
to  me. 

"  Oh  !  Captain  Keene,"  said  Tommy,  "  I'm  glad  to  see 
that  you  are  so  well ;  but  you  had  the  remedy  given  you 
long  before  we  had." 

"  Yes,"  replied  I,  "  it  was  given  me  in  good  time ;  but  I 
hope  it  was  not  too  late  with  you." 

"I  feel  very  bad,"  replied  Tommy.  "Doctor,  do  you 
think  I  shall  live  ?  " 

The  doctor  felt  his  pulse,  and  looked  very  grave ;  at  last 
he  said,  "  If  you  get  over  the  next  twelve  hours,  I  think 
you  may." 

"  How  many  are  dead  ?  "  inquired  Tommy. 

"  I  don't  know ;  you  are  the  first  that  I  have  visited  ;  it's 
a  shocking  business." 

"  I've  been  thinking  that  we  were  very  wrong,"  said 
285 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

Tommy;  "we  ought  not  to  have  driven  the  poor  woman 
to  desperation.  If  I  do  recover,  her  death  will  be  on  my 
conscience." 

"I'm  glad  to  hear  you  say  that,  Tommy/'  replied  I ;  "but  the 
doctor  says  you  must  remain  very  quiet,  and  thei-efore  I  shall 
leave  you.  Good-bye  ;  I  will  see  you  again  this  evening." 

"  Good-bye,  sir,  and  I  hope  you'll  forgive  me  for  not 
having  been  so  respectful  as  I  should  have  been." 

"  Yes,  yes,  Tommy ;  we  have  been  friends  too  long  for 
that." 

Mammy  Crissobella's  dose  had  certainly  put  an  end  to  all 
Tommy's  spirit  of  resistance.  All  the  others  who  had  been 
victims  to  our  plot  were  kept  in  the  dark  as  to  the  real  facts, 
and,  as  soon  as  they  were  able  to  be  moved,  paid  their  bills 
to  Leila,  and  left  the  house. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII   . 

ON  the  third  day,  Tommy  Dott  and  Mr.  Maxwell  went  on 
board,  imagining  that  they  had  had  a  miraculous  escape,  and 
the  two  old  planters  and  I  were  left  the  only  inmates  of  the 
house  to  welcome  the  resurrection  of  Mammy  Crissobella, 
who  was  again  as  busy  as  before.  She  said  to  me,  "  Massy 
Keene,  I  really  under  great  obligation  to  you ;  suppose  you 
want  two,  three  hundred,  five  hundred  pounds,  very  much  at 
your  service  ;  never  mind  pay  back." 

I  replied  that  I  did  not  want  any  money,  and  was  equally 
obliged  to  her.  But  the  affair  had  already  made  a  great  noise. 
It  was  at  first  really  supposed  that  Mammy  Crissobella  had 
poisoned  them  as  well  as  herself,  and  I  was  obliged  to  refute 
it,  or  the  authorities  would  have  taken  it  up.  As  the  admiral 
sent  down  to  make  inquiries,  I  went  up  to  him  and  told  him 
the  whole  story ;  I  was  obliged  to  do  the  same  to  the 
governor ;  and  it  was  the  occasion  of  great  mirth  all  over  the 
island,  and  of  no  small  mortification  to  those  who  had  been 
the  sufferers.  Mammy  Crissobella  was  complimented  very 
much  upon  her  successful  stratagem  to  clear  her  house,  and 
she  was  quite  in  ecstasies  at  the  renown  that  she  obtained. 

286 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

One  day  the  admiral  sent  for  me,  and  said — "  Keene,  I  can 
wait  no  longer  the  arrival  of  another  vessel.  I  must  send 
you  to  England  with  despatches ;  you  must  sail  to-morrow 
morning." 

As  I  was  all  ready,  I  took  my  leave  of  the  admiral,  who 
promised  me  every  assistance,  if  on  his  station,  and  his  good 
word  with  the  Admiralty,  and  said  that  he  would  send  down 
my  despatches  at  daylight.  I  went  on  board,  gave  the  neces- 
sary orders,  and  then  returned  to  the  hotel  to  pack  up  my 
portmanteau  and  pay  my  bill ;  but  Mammy  Crissobella  would 
not  hear  of  my  paying  anything,  and  as  I  found  that  she  was 
beginning  to  be  seriously  angry,  I  gave  up  the  point.  So  I 
gave  the  old  lady  a  kiss  as  a  receipt  in  full,  and  another  to 
Leila,  as  I  slipped  a  couple  of  doubloons  into  her  hand,  and 
went  on  board.  The  next  morning,  shortly  after  daylight, 
the  despatches  were  on  board,  and  the  Diligente  was  under  all 
the  sail  she  could  carry  on  her  way  to  England. 

The  Diligente  sailed  as  well  as  ever,  and  we  made  a  very 
quick  passage.  I  found  my  ship's  company  to  be  very  good, 
and  had  no  trouble  with  my  officers.  Tommy  Dott  was  very 
well  behaved,  notAvithstanding  all  his  threats  of  what  he  would 
do.  It  was  therefore  to  be  presumed  that  he  was  not  very 
ill  treated. 

We  were  now  fast  approaching  the  end  of  our  passage, 
being  about  a  hundred  miles  to  the  SW.  of  the  Scilly  Islands, 
with  a  light  wind  from  the  southward,  when,  in  the  middle 
watch,  Bob  Cross,  who  had  the  charge  of  it,  came  down  and 
reported  firing  in  the  SE.  I  went  up,  but  although  we  heard 
the  report  of  the  guns,  we  could  not  distinguish  the  flashes.  I 
altered  our  course  to  the  direction,  and  we  waited  till  day- 
light should  reveal  what  was  going  on.  Before  daybreak  we 
could  see  the  flashes,  and  make  out  one  vessel,  but  not  the 
other.  But  when  the  sun  rose  the  mystery  was  cleared  off. 
It  was  a  French  schooner  privateer  engaging  a  large  English 
ship,  apparently  an  East-Indiaman.  The  ship  was  evidently 
a  good  deal  cut  up  in  her  spars  and  rigging. 

Bob  Cross,  who  was  close  to  my  side  when  I  examined 
them  with  my  glass,  said,  "  Captain  Keene,  that  rascally 
Frenchman  will  be  off  as  soon  as  he  sees  us  if  we  hoist  English 
colours ;  but  if  you  hoist  French  colours,  we  may  get  down 
and  pin  him  before  he  knows  what  we  are." 

287 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

"  I  think  you  are  right,  Bob/'  said  I.  "  Hoist  French 
colours.  He  will  make  sure  of  his  prize  then,  and  we  shall 
laugh  at  his  disappointment." 

As  Cross  turned  away  to  go  aft,  I  perceived  a  chuckle  on 
his  part,  which  I  did  not  understand,  as  there  was  nothing 
particular  to  chuckle  about.  I  thought  it  Avas  on  account  of 
the  Frenchman's  disappointment  when  he  found  that  we  were 
not  a  friend,  as  he  might  suppose. 

"  Hadn't  we  better  fire  a  gun,  Captain  Keene,  to  attract 
their  attention  ?  " 

"Yes,"  replied  I;  "it  will  look  as  if  we  really  were 
Frenchmen." 

The  gun  was  fired,  and  we  continued  to  stand  towards  them 
with  a  good  breeze.  About  seven  o'clock  we  were  within  two 
miles,  and  then  we  observed  the  Englishman  haul  down  her 
colours,  and  the  schooner  immediately  went  alongside,  and  took 
possession.  I  continued  to  run  down,  and  in  half-an-hour  was 
close  to  her.  Calling  up  the  boarders,  I  laid  the  brig  alongside 
the  schooner ;  as  half  her  men  were  on  board  the  Indiaman, 
they  were  taken  by  surprise,  and  we  gained  possession  with 
very  trifling  loss  on  our  side,  much  to  the  astonishment  of  the 
crew  of  the  privateer  as  well  as  that  of  the  Indiaman. 

The  captain,  who  was  on  deck,  informed  me  that  they  had 
engaged  the  schooner  for  nine  hours,  and  that  he  had  some 
hopes  of  beating  her  off,  until  he  saw  me  come  down  under 
French  colours,  upon  which  he  felt  that  further  resistance 
was  vain.  I  told  him  I  was  afraid  the  schooner  would  escape, 
if  I  had  not  deceived  him,  and  complimented  him  upon  his 
vigorous  defence.  The  schooner  was  a  very  fine  vessel, 
mounting  fourteen  guns,  and  of  three  hundred  tons  burthen. 
In  fact,  she  was  quite  as  large  as  the  Diligente. 

While  we  were  handing  the  prisoners  over  to  the  brig,  and 
securing  them,  I  accepted  the  invitation  of  the  captain  of  the 
Indiaman  to  go  into  the  cabin  with  him,  where  I  found  a 
large  party  of  passengers,  chiefly  ladies,  who  were  very  loud 
in  their  thanks  for  my  rescue.  In  another  hour  we  were  all 
ready.  I  left  a  party  on  board  the  Indiaman  to  repair 
damages,  and  my  surgeon  to  assist  the  wounded  men,  and 
hauled  off  the  brig  and  schooner.  The  latter  I  gave  into  the 
charge  of  Tommy  Dott,  and  we  all  made  sail. 

As  I  was  walking  the  quarter-deck,  delighted  with  my 

288 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

success,  Cross,  who  had  the  watch,  and  was  by  my  side,  said, 
"  I  think,  Captain  Keene,  you  did  very  right  in  hoisting 
French  colours." 

"  Why,  yes,  Cross,"  replied  I ;  "  she  is  a  very  fast  sailer, 
that  is  evident,  and  she  might  have  escaped  us." 

"  That's  not  what  I  mean,  Captain  Keene." 

«  What  then,  Cross  ?  " 

"  Why,  sir,  I  would  not  tell  you  why  I  wished  you  to  hoist 
French  colours  at  the  time,  because  I  was  afraid  that,  if  I  did, 
you  would  not  have  done  so ;  but  my  reason  was,  that  it 
would  make  a  great  difference  in  our  prize-money,  and  I  want 
some,  if  you  do  not." 

Even  then  I  could  not  imagine  what  Cross  meant,  for  it 
never  came  into  my  head,  and  I  turned  round  and  looked  at 
him  for  an  explanation. 

"  Why,  Captain  Keene,  if  we  had  hoisted  English  colours, 
the  schooner  would  have  made  sail  and  gone  off,  and,  even  if 
she  had  not  done  so,  the  Indiaman  would  have  held  out  till 
we  came  down ;  but  as  he  hauled  down  his  colours,  and  was 
taken  possession  of  by  the  enemy,  he  now  becomes  a  re- 
capture, and  I  expect  the  salvage  of  that  Indiaman  will  be  of 
more  value  to  us  than  two  or  three  of  such  schooners." 

"  That  certainly  did  not  enter  my  head  when  I  hoisted  the 
colours,  Cross,  I  must  confess." 

"  No,  sir,  that  I  saw  it  did  not,  but  it  did  mine." 

"  It's  hardly  fair,  Cross." 

"  Quite  fair,  sir,"  replied  Bob.  "The  Company  is  rich,  and 
can  afford  to  pay,  and  we  want  it  in  the  first  place,  and 
deserve  it  in  the  next.  At  all  events,  it's  not  upon  your 
conscience,  and  that  schooner  is  such  a  clipper,  that  I  really 
think  we  should  have  lost  her  if  she  had  run  for  it ;  besides, 
as  she  is  as  strong  as  we  are,  we  might  have  lost  a  good  many 
men  before  we  took  her." 

"  That's  very  true,  Bob,"  replied  I,  "  and  satisfies  me  that 
I  was  right  in  what  I  did." 

The  wind  had  sprung  up  much  fresher  from  the  westward, 
and  we  were  now  all  three  running  with  a  fair  wind ;  and  as 
it  continued,  we  did  not  put  into  Plymouth,  but  continued 
our  course  for  Portsmouth,  and  on  the  third  day,  at  a  very 
early  hour  in  the  morning,  anchored  at  Spithead. 

289 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 


CHAPTER  XXIX 

-A.S  it  was  too  soon  to  present  myself  to  the  admiral,  I 
dressed,  ready  to  go  on  shore,  and  hoisted  the  number  of  the 
Diligente,  as  given  by  the  admiral  at  Jamaica ;  but,  as  I  ex- 
pected, it  was  not  known  to  the  guard-ship,  and  there  was 
much  surmise  among  the  early  risers  as  to  what  might  be  the 
large  ship,  schooner,  and  brig-of-war,  which  had  entered. 

We  had  just  finished  the  washing  of  the  decks,  and  I  was 
standing  aft  with  Cross,  who  had  the  morning  watch,  when 
he  observed  to  me,  "  Captain  Keene,  we  are  now  at  anchor 
as  near  as  possible  to  where  the  Calliope  was  when  you  went 
adrift  in  the  boat  with  poor  Peggy.  Some  difference  between 
your  situation  now  and  then." 

"  Yes,  Bob,"  replied  I ;  "  I  was  thinking  the  same  when  I 
was  dressing  this  morning,  and  I  was  also  thinking  that  you 
would  be  very  anxious  to  go  on  shore — so  you  may  take  a  boat 
as  soon  as  you  please ;  I  will  order  one  to  be  given  to  you." 

"  Thankey,  sir  ;  I  am  a  little  anxious  to  see  the  poor  girl, 
and  I  think  matters  will  go  smooth  now." 

"  I  hope  so,  with  all  my  heart.  Let  the  gigs  be  all  dressed 
and  cleaned,  and  the  boat  manned  at  six  bells.  Pass  the 
word  for  them  to  get  their  breakfast." 

As  it  was  better  that  I  should  wait  for  the  admiral's  getting 
up  than  that  he  should  wait  for  me,  I  was  on  shore,  and  up 
at  the  office  at  half-past  seven  o'clock,  and  found  that  the 
admiral  was  in  his  dressing-room.  The  secretary  was  there, 
and  I  delivered  my  orders  and  despatches,  with  which  he 
went  up  to  the  admiral.  In  about  a  quarter  of  an  hour  he 
came  down  again  with  the  port-admiral's  request  that  I  would 
wait  for  him,  and  stay  to  breakfast.  The  secretary  remained 
with  me,  extracting  all  the  West  India  intelligence  that  I 
could  give  him. 

As  soon  as  the  admiral  made  his  appearance,  he  shook  me 
warmly  by  the  hand.  "  Captain  Keene,"  said  he,  "  I  wish 
you  joy :  I  see  you  are  following  up  your  career  in  the  West 
Indies.  We  know  you  well  enough  by  the  despatches,  and  I 
am  glad  to  be  personally  acquainted  with  you.  This  last 

2QO 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

business  will,  I  have  no  doubt,  give  you  the  next  step,  as  soon 
as  you  have  been  a  little  longer  as  commander.  Mr.  Charles, 
desire  them  to  make  the  signal  for  the  Diligente  and  schooner 
to  come  into  harbour.  The  Incliaman  may,  of  course,  do  as 
he  pleases.  Now,  then,  for  breakfast." 

The  admiral,  of  course,  asked  me  as  many  questions  as  the 
secretary,  and  ended,  as  I  rose  to  take  my  leave,  in  requesting 
the  pleasure  of  my  company  to  dinner  on  that  day.  As  the 
reader  may  suppose,  I  had  every  reason  to  be  satisfied  with 
my  reception. 

As  soon  as  I  had  left  the  admiral's  office,  I  put  into  the 
post-office,  with  my  own  hands,  my  letter  to  my  mother,  and 
one  to  Lord  de  Versely.  In  the  latter  I  told  him  of  my  good 
fortune,  and  enclosed  a  copy  of  my  despatch  to  the  Admiralty. 
Although  the  despatch  was  written  modestly,  still  the  circum- 
stances in  themselves — my  having  recaptured  an  Indiaman, 
and  carried,  by  boarding,  a  vessel  of  equal  force  to  my  own, 
and  superior  in  men — had  a  very  good  appearance,  and  I 
certainly  obtained  greater  credit  than  I  really  deserved.  It 
was  not  at  all  necessary  to  say  that  I  hoisted  French  colours, 
and  therefore  took  the  schooner  unawares,  or  that  at  the  time 
most  of  her  men  were  on  board  of  the  Indiaman ;  the  great 
art  in  this  world  is,  to  know  where  to  leave  off,  and  in  nothing 
more  than  when  people  take  the  pen  in  their  hands. 

As  soon  as  I  had  finished  my  correspondence — for  I  wrote 
a  few  lines  to  Mrs.  Bridgeman  at  Chatham,  and  a  postscript 
to  my  mother's  letter — I  went  down  to  the  saluting  battery, 
when  I  found  that  the  two  vessels  were  just  entering  the 
harbour.  I  went  up  and  reported  it  at  the  admiral's  office, 
and  the  admiral  went  on  board  of  both  vessels  to  examine 
them  himself,  and  he  ordered  a  dockyard  survey.  They 
were  both  pronounced  fit  for  his  Majesty's  service,  with  the 
necessary  dockyard  alterations.  The  crew  of  the  Diligente 
were  turned  over  to  a  hulk,  preparatory  to  unrigging  and 
clearing  her  out  for  dock.  As  soon  as  I  left  the  admiral's 
house,  I  sat  down  at  the  George  Hotel,  where  I  had  taken  up 
my  quarters,  and  wrote  a  long  letter  to  Minnie  Vanderwelt. 

Cross  called  upon  me  the  next  morning.  I  saw  by  his 
countenance  that  he  had  good  news  to  tell  me.  He  had 
found  his  lady-love  as  constant  as  he  could  wish,  and  having 
explained  to  the  blind  old  smuggler  that  he  had  been  offered 

291 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

and  accepted  the  situation  of  boatswain  in  his  Majesty's 
service  during  the  time  that  he  was  in  the  West  Indies,  he 
had  received  his  approbation  of  his  conduct,  and  a  warm 
welcome  to  the  house  whenever  he  could  come  on  shore. 

"  I  have  not  put  the  question  to  the  old  chap  yet,  Captain 
Keene,"  said  he,  "  but  I  think  I  will  very  soon." 

"  Don't  be  in  too  great  a  hurry,  Bob,"  replied  I.  "  Give 
the  old  fellow  a  little  more  'baccy,  and  ask  his  advice  as  to 
what  you  are  to  do  with  your  prize-money.  You  must  also 
talk  a  little  about  your  half-pay  and  your  widow's  pension." 

"  That's  very  good  advice,  Captain  Keene,"  replied  Cross. 
"  Mercy  on  us  !  how  things  are  changed  !  It  appears  but  the 
other  day  that  I  was  leading  you  down  to  this  very  hotel,  to 
ship  you  into  the  service,  and  you  was  asking  my  advice,  and 
I  was  giving  it  to  you ;  and  now  I  am  asking  your  advice, 
and  taking  it.  You  have  shot  ahead  in  every  way,  sir,  that's 
sartain ;  you  looked  up  to  me  then,  now  I  look  up  to  you." 

I  laughed  at  Cross's  observation,  which  was  too  true ;  and 
then  we  went  into  the  dockyard,  and  were  very  busy  during 
the  remainder  of  the  day. 

The  following  morning  I  received  an  answer  from  Lord  de 
Versely,  couched  in  most  friendly  terms.  He  complimented 
me  on  my  success,  and  the  high  character  I  had  gained  for 
myself  during  so  short  a  career,  and  added  that  he  should  be 
happy  to  see  me  as  soon  as  I  could  come  to  London,  and 
would  himself  introduce  me  to  the  First  Lord  of  the  Admiralty. 
He  advised  me  to  request  leave  of  absence,  which  would  be 
immediately  granted,  and  concluded  his  letter,  "Your  sincere 
friend  and  well-wisher,  De  Versely." 

As  soon  as  I  had  laid  down  the  letter,  I  said  to  myself,  I 
was  right — the  true  way  to  create  an  interest  in  a  man  like 
Lord  de  Versely  is  to  make  him  proud  of  you.  I  have  done 
well  as  yet ;  I  will  try  to  do  more ;  but  how  long  will  this 
success  continue  ?  Must  I  not  expect  reverses  ?  May  not 
some  reaction  take  place  ?  and  have  I  not  in  some  degree 
deserved  it  ?  Yes,  I  have  used  deceit  in  persuading  him  of 
my  mother's  death.  I  began  now  to  think  that  that  was  a 
false  step,  which,  if  ever  discovered,  might  recoil  upon  me.  I 
remained  a  long  while  in  deep  thought.  I  tried  to  extenuate 
my  conduct  in  this  particular,  but  I  could  not ;  and  to  rid 
myself  of  melancholy  feelings,  which  I  could  not  overcome, 

292 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

I  wrote  a  letter,  requesting  leave  of  absence  for  a  fortnight, 
and  took  it  myself  to  the  admiral's  office.  This  depression  of 
spirits  remained  with  me  during  the  time  that  I  remained 
at  Portsmouth,  when,  having  obtained  leave,  I  set  off  for 
London,  and  on  arrival,  put  up  at  a  fashionable  hotel  in 
Albemarle  Street. 


CHAPTER  XXX 

JL  HE  next  morning  I  called  at  Lord  de  Versely's  and  sent 
up  my  card.  I  was  immediately  ushered  up,  and  fonnd 
myself  in  his  presence.  Lord  de  Versely  rose  from  his  sofa, 
and  took  my  hand.  "  Keene,  I  am  very  glad  to  see  you. 
I  am  proud  that  an  eleve  of  mine  should  have  done  me  so 
much  credit.  You  have  gained  all  your  rank  in  the  service 
by  your  own  merit  and  exertions." 

"  Not  quite  all,  my  lord,"  replied  I. 

"Yes,  all,  for  you  are  certain  of  your  next  step — they 
cannot  well  refuse  it  to  you." 

"  They  will  not  refuse  your  lordship,  I  have  no  doubt," 
replied  I. 

"  Sit  down,  Keene.  We  will  have  a  little  conversation,  and 
then  we  will  go  to  the  Admiralty." 

His  lordship  then  asked  me  many  questions  relative  to  what 
had  passed ;  and  I  entered  into  more  detail  than  I  had  done 
in  my  letters.  After  an  hour's  conversation,  carried  on  by 
him  in  so  friendly — I  may  almost  say  affectionate — a  style 
as  to  make  my  heart  bound  with  delight,  the  carriage  was 
announced,  and  I  accompanied  his  lordship  down  to  the 
Admiralty.  His  lordship  sent  up  his  card,  and  was  requested 
immediately  to  go  upstairs.  He  desired  me  to  follow  him  ; 
and  as  soon  as  we  were  in  the  presence  of  the  First  Lord,  and 
he  and  Lord  de  Versely  had  shaken  hands,  Lord  de  Versely 
said,  "Allow  me  to  introduce  to  you  Captain  Keene,  whose 
name  at  least  you  have  often  heard  of  lately.  I  have  brought 
him  with  me  because  he  is  a  follower  of  mine :  he  entered 
the  service  under  my  protection,  and  continued  with  me 
until  his  conduct  gave  him  his  promotion.  I  have  taken 
this  opportunity  of  introducing  him,  to  assure  your  lordship 

293 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

that,  during  the  whole  time  that  he  served  with  me  as 
midshipman,  his  gallantry  was  quite  as  conspicuous  as  it  has 
been  since." 

The  First  Lord  took  me  by  the  hand,  and  complimented 
me  on  my  conduct. 

"Captain  Keene  has  strong  claims,  my  lord.  What  can 
we  do  now  for  him  ?  " 

"  I  trust  you  will  acknowledge  that  Captain  Keene  has 
earned  his  post  rank,  my  lord/'  replied  Lord  de  Versely  ; 
"  and  I  shall  take  it  as  a  particular  favour  to  myself  if  your 
lordship  would  appoint  him  to  a  frigate,  and  give  him  an  op- 
portunity of  doing  credit  to  your  lordship's  patronage." 

"  I  think  I  may  promise  you  both,"  replied  the  First  Lord ; 
"but  when  we  meet  in  the  House  to-iiight,  I  will  let  you 
know  what  I  can  do." 

After  a  few  minutes'  conversation,  Lord  de  Versely  rose, 
and  we  left  the  room.  As  soon  as  we  were  in  the  carriage 
his  lordship  said,  "  Keene,  you  may  depend  upon  it  I  shall 
have  good  news  to  tell  you  to-morrow ;  so  call  upon  me 
about  two  o'clock.  I  dine  out  to-day  with  the  Premier,  but 
to-morrow  you  must  dine  with  me." 

I  took  leave  of  his  lordship  as  soon  as  the  carriage  stopped; 
and  as  I  wished  to  appoint  an  agent,  which  I  had  not  yet 
done,  I  had  begged  his  lordship  to  recommend  me  one. 
He  gave  me  the  address  of  his  own,  and  I  went  there 
accordingly.  Having  made  the  necessary  arrangements,  I 
then  employed  the  remainder  of  the  day  in  fitting  myself 
out  in  a  somewhat  more  fashionable  style  than  Portsmouth 
tailors  were  equal  to. 

The  next  morning  I  sat  down  to  write  to  my  mother,  but 
somehow  or  another  I  could  not  make  up  my  mind  to  address 
her.  I  had  thought  of  it  over  and  over,  and  had  made  up 
my  mind  that  in  future  I  would  always  correspond  with  my 
grandmother  ;  and  I  now  determined  to  write  to  her,  explain- 
ing that  such  was  my  intention  in  future,  and  requesting  that 
all  answers  should  be  also  from  my  grandmother.  I  com- 
menced my  letter,  however,  with  informing  her  that  I  had, 
since  I  had  last  written,  obtained  leave  of  absence,  and  was 
now  in  London.  I  stated  the  kindness  shown  me  in  every 
way  by  Lord  de  Versely,  and  how  grateful  I  was  to  him. 
This  continued  down  to  the  bottom,  of  the  first  page,  and 

294 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

then  I  said,  "  What  would  I  not  give  to  bear  the  name  of 
one  I  so  much  love  and  respect !  Oh,  that  I  were  a  Delmar  ! " 
I  was  just  about  to  turn  over  the  leaf  and  continue,  when  the 
waiter  tapped  at  the  door,  and  informed  me  that  the  tailor 
was  come  to  try  on  the  clothes  which  I  had  ordered.  I 
went  into  the  bed-room,  which  opened  into  the  sitting-room, 
and  was  busy  with  the  foreman,  who  turned  me  round  and 
round;  marking  alterations  with  a  piece  of  chalk,  when  the 
waiter  tapped  at  the  bed-room  door,  and  said  Lord  de  Versely 
was  in  the  sitting-room.  I  took  off  the  coat  which  was  fitting 
as  fast  as  I  could,  that  I  might  not  keep  his  lordship  waiting, 
and  put  on  my  own. 

Desiring  the  man  to  wait  my  return,  I  opened  the  door, 
and  found  his  lordship  on  the  sofa,  and  then,  for  the  first 
time,  when  I  again  saw  it,  recollected  that  I  had  left  the 
letter  on  the  table.  The  very  sight  of  it  took  away  my 
breath.  I  coloured  up  as  I  approached  his  lordship.  I  had 
quite  forgotten  that  I  had  addressed  my  grandmother.  I 
stammered  out,  "  This  is  an  honour,  my  lord." 

"  I  came  to  wish  you  joy  of  your  promotion  and  appoint- 
ment to  a  fine  frigate,  Keene,"  said  Lord  de  Versely.  "I 
have  just  received  this  from  the  Admiralty ;  and  as  I  have 
business  unexpectedly  come  to  hand,  I  thought  I  Avould  be 
the  bearer  myself  of  the  good  news.  I  leave  you  the  letter, 
and  shall  of  course  see  you  to  dinner." 

"Many  thanks,  my  lord,"  replied  I.  "I  am,  indeed, 
grateful." 

"  I  believe  you  are,  Keene,"  replied  his  lordship.  "  By-the- 
bye,  you  leave  your  letters  so  exposed,  that  one  cannot  help 
seeing  them.  I  see  you  are  writing  to  your  grandmother.  I 
hope  the  old  lady  is  well  ?  " 

My  grandmother !  Oh,  what  a  relief  to  my  mind  it  was 
when  I  then  recollected  that  it  was  to  my  grandmother  that 
I  had  written !  I  replied  that  she  was  very  well  when  I  last 
heard  from  her. 

"  If  I  can  be  of  any  use  in  arranging  your  money  affairs, 
Keene,  let  me  know." 

"  I  thank  you,  my  lord  ;  but  I  found  that  my  agent  per- 
fectly understands  his  business,"  replied  I.  "  I  will  not 
trouble  your  lordship,  who  has  so  many  important  affairs  to 
attend  to." 

295 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

"Very  good,"  replied  he.  "Then  now  I'll  leave  you  to 
read  what  I  have  given  you ;  and  I  shall  expect  you  at  eight. 
Good-bye."  His  lordship  again  shook  me  warmly  by  the 
hand,  and  left  me. 

I  was  quite  giddy  with  the  reaction  produced  upon  my 
feelings.  When  his  lordship  left  the  room  I  dropped  down 
on  the  sofa.  I  forgot  the  letter  in  my  hand  and  its  contents, 
and  the  tailor  in  the  next  room.  All  I  thought  of  was  the 
danger  I  had  escaped,  and  how  fortunate  I  was  in  not  having 
addressed  the  letter  to  my  mother,  as  I  had  at  first  intended. 
The  agony  which  I  felt  was  very  great,  and  as  I  remained 
with  my  hands  covering  my  eyes,  I  made  a  vow  that  nothing 
should  induce  me  ever  to  use  deceit  again.  I  then  read  over 
the  letter.  There  was  nothing  but  gratitude  to  Lord  de 
Versely,  and  a  wish  that  I  had  been  born  a  Delmar.  Well, 
if  his  lordship  had  run  his  eyes  over  it,  there  was  nothing  to 
hurt  me  in  his  opinion ;  on  the  contrary,  it  proved  that  I  was 
grateful ;  and  I  then  recollected  that  when  I  expressed  my 
gratitude,  he  said  he  believed  it.  As  for  my  saying  that  I 
wished  my  name  was  Delmar,  it  was  nothing,  and  it  let  him 
know  what  my  wishes  were.  On  the  whole,  I  had  great 
cause  for  congratulation. 

I  was  here  interrupted  by  the  tailor,  who  put  his  head  out 
of  the  bed-room  door.  I  went  to  him,  and  he  finished  his 
work,  and  he  promised  me  that  I  should  have  a  complete  suit 
at  half-past  seven  o'clock  in  the  evening,  in  time  for  dinner. 
I  then  returned  to  the  sitting-room,  and  opened  the  letter 
which  Lord  de  Versely  had  put  into  my  hands.  It  was  from 
the  First  Lord,  acquainting  him  that  I  might  call  at  the 
Admiralty  the  next  day,  as  my  post-captain's  commission  was 
signed,  and  I  was  appointed  to  a  thirty-two  gun  frigate,  which 
would  be  launched  in  two  or  three  months.  Well,  then, 
thought  I,  here  I  am,  at  twenty-three,  a  post-captain  in  his 
Majesty's  service,  and  commanding  a  frigate.  Surely  I  have 
much  to  be  thankful  for.  I  felt  that  I  had,  and  I  was  grate- 
ful to  Heaven  for  my  good  fortune.  Now  I  had  but  one 
more  wish  in  the  world,  and  that  was,  instead  of  being 
Captain  Keene,  to  be  Captain  Delmar. 

The  reader  may  say,  "  What's  in  a  name  ?  "  True  ;  but  such 
was  my  ambition,  my  darling  wish,  and  it  is  ardent  longing 
for  anything,  the  ardour  of  pursuit,  which  increases  the  value 

296 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

of  the  object  so  much  above  its  real  value.  The  politician, 
who  has  been  manoeuvring  all  his  life,  does  not  perhaps  feel 
more  pleasure  in  grasping  the  coronet  which  he  has  been 
in  pursuit  of  than  the  urchin  does  when  he  first  possesses 
himself  of  a  nest  which  he  has  been  watching  for  weeks. 
This  would,  indeed,  be  a  dreary  world  if  we  had  not  some 
excitement,  some  stimulus  to  lead  us  on,  which  occupies  our 
thoughts,  and  gives  us  fresh  courage,  when  disheartened  by 
the  knavery,  and  meanness,  and  selfishness  of  those  who  sur- 
round us.  How  sad  is  the  analysis  of  human  nature — what 
contradictions,  what  extremes !  how  many  really  brave  men 
have  I  fallen  in  with,  stooping  to  every  meanness  for  patron- 
age, court  favour,  or  gain ;  slandering  those  whose  reputation 
they  feared,  and  even  descending  to  falsehood  to  obtain  their 
ends  !  How  many  men  with  splendid  talents,  but  with  little 
souls ! 

Up  to  the  present  I  had  run  a  career  of  prosperous  success; 
I  had  risen  to  a  high  position  without  interfering,  or  being 
interfered  with  by  others  ;  but  now  I  had  become  of  sufficient 
consequence  to  be  envied ;  now  I  had  soon  to  experience, 
that  as  you  continue  to  advance  in  the  world,  so  do  you  con- 
tinue to  increase  the  number  of  your  enemies,  to  be  exposed 
to  the  shafts  of  slander,  to  be  foiled  by  treachery,  cunning, 
and  malevolence.  But  I  must  not  anticipate. 

I  remained  in  London  till  my  leave  was  expired,  and  then 
went  down  to  Portsmouth  to  pay  off  the  brig,  which  had  been 
ordered  into  dock,  to  be  refitted  for  his  Majesty's  service. 


CHAPTER  XXXI 

_L  HE  Circe,  thirty-two,  to  which  I  had  been  appointed,  was 
a  small  but  very  beautiful  frigate,  and,  as  far  as  I  could  judge 
by  her  build  as  she  lay  on  the  stocks,  had  every  requisite  for 
sailing  well. 

When  I  took  my  leave  of  Lord  de  Versely,  he  told  me  that 
he  should  come  down  on  the  first  of  the  following  month 
(September)  to  Madeline  Hall,  where  his  aunt,  Miss  de 
Versely.,  was  still  nourishing  at  a  green  old  age,  "  Here  is  a 

297 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

letter  of  introduction  to  her,  Keene,"  said  he,  "as  she  has 
not  seen  you  since  you  were  a  few  months  old,  and  therefore 
it  is  not  very  likely  that  she  would  recognise  you.  Take  my 
advice  and  make  yourself  as  agreeable  to  the  old  lady  as  you 
can ;  you  will  find  Madeline  Hall  a  very  pleasant  place,  when 
you  are  tired  of  the  dockyard  and  the  smell  of  pitch  and  tar." 

I  thanked  his  lordship,  and  we  parted  with  much  more 
cordiality  shown  by  him  than  I  had  experienced. 

I  hardly  need  say,  that  the  first  person  who  came  to  con- 
gratulate me  on  my  arrival  at  Portsmouth  was  my  old  friend 
and  adviser  Bob  Cross.  "Well,  Captain  Keene,"  said  Bob, 
as  I  shook  him  warmly  by  the  hand,  "  I'm  delighted  at  your 
success,  and  I  know  that  you  will  not  be  sorry  to  hear  that  I 
am  getting  on  as  well  as  I  could  wish  in  my  small  way ;  Jane 
and  I  are  to  be  married  in  a  few  days,  and  I  hope  you  will 
honour  me  by  being  present  at  the  wedding." 

"  That  I  will,  Bob,  with  pleasure/'  replied  I ;  "  let  me  hear 
all  that  has  taken  place." 

"  Why,  sir,  it's  told  in  a  few  words.  I  took  your  advice, 
and  brought  the  old  gentleman  presents,  and  I  sat  with  him 
and  heard  all  his  old  stories  at  least  fifty  times  over,  and 
laughed  at  his  jokes  as  regularly  the  last  time  as  the  first ; 
and  he  told  Jane  and  her  mother  that  I  was  a  very  pleasant, 
sensible,  and  amusing  young  man — although  he  had  all  the 
talk,  and  I  had  none.  The  fact  is,  sir,  it  was  he  who  first 
brought  up  the  subject  of  my  splicing  his  niece ;  that  is  to 
say,  he  hinted  how  he  should  like  to  see  her  well  settled, 
and  that  if  she  married  according  to  his  wishes,  he  would 
leave  her  all  he  had. 

"Well,  sir,  it  was  the  opinion  of  Jane  and  her  mother, 
that,  as  he  was  a  whimsical,  changeable  old  chap,  it  would 
be  right  for  her  to  refuse  me  at  first ;  and  so  she  did,  very 
much  to  the  old  man's  annoyance,  who  then  set  his  mind 
upon  it,  and  swore  that  if  she  did  not  marry  me,  he  would 
not  leave  her  a  farthing.  After  a  few  days  of  quarrelling, 
Jane  gave  in,  and  the  old  chap  swears  that  we  shall  be 
married  immediately,  and  that  he  will  give  us  half  his  pro- 
perty down  at  once." 

"  Strike  the  iron  while  it's  hot,  Bob,"  replied  I.  "  Is  the 
day  fixed  ?  " 

"  Not  exactly,  sir ;  but  we  are  to  be  put  up  in  church  next 

298 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

Sunday,  and  it  takes  three  Sundays.  I  hope  you  won't  part 
with  me,  sir/'  continued  Bob.  "The  Diligente  will  be  paid 
off  on  Tuesday,  they  say,  and  if  you  could  get  me  appointed 
to  the  Circe " 

"  Why,  Cross,  you  are  thinking  of  going  to  sea  again,  even 
before  you  are  married.  I  should  advise  you  not  to  be  in  such 
a  hurry.  You  must  not  displease  the  old  gentleman;  besides, 
you  must  not  leave  a  young  wife  so  soon." 

"That's  very  true,  Captain  Keene,  but  I  don't  think  I 
should  be  comfortable  if  I  knew  you  were  afloat  without  me." 

"  I  suppose  you  think  that  I  cannot  take  care  of  myself." 

"  Yes,  I  do,  sir ;  but  still  I  know  that  I  should  fret ;  and, 
sir,  it  will  be  four  months  at  least  before  the  Circe  is  ready  for 
sea,  and  I  may  just  as  well  be  appointed  to  her,  and  I  can 
decide  whether  I  do  go  to  sea  or  not  when  the  time  comes." 

"Well,  Cross,  I  will  certainly  apply  for  you;  but  if  you 
take  my  advice,  you  will  give  up  the  sea  altogether,  and  live 
on  shore." 

"  I  have  nothing  to  do,  sir." 

"  Yes,  you  have  ;  you  have  to  cherish  your  wife,  and  look 
after  the  old  gentleman." 

"  Well,  he  is  rather  shaky,  they  say,  sir  ;  the  old  woman  is 
often  called  out  to  him  at  nights." 

"Well,  Cross,  I  will  do  as  you  wish,  and  time  will  decide 
how  you  are  to  act.  I  am  going  over  to  Southampton  for  a  few 
days  perhaps,  and  will  take  care  to  be  back  by  the  wedding. 
By-the-bye,  have  you  heard  anything  about  prize-money  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir ;  it's  payable  for  the  Diligente  and  schooner, 
and  all  our  recaptures  in  the  Wrest  Indies  when  we  were  in 
the  Fircjlij.  The  Dutch  frigate  has  been  for  distribution  some 
time ;  but  as  I  was  only  petty  officer  then,  it  won't  come  to 
much." 

"  Well,  I  can  tell  you  that  the  Government  have  taken  the 
schooner  which  we  captured  in  the  chops  of  the  Channel, 
and  the  East  India  Company  have  given  us  salvage  for  the 
ship.  My  agent  has  received  already  £7400  on  my  account, 
which  I  have  ordered  to  be  purchased  into  the  funds.  As 
there  were  so  few  warrant  officers,  your  share  will  not  be 
less  than  £l  500,  perhaps  more.  As  you  said,  the  salvage 
of  the  Indiaman  has  proved  more  valuable  to  us  than  all  the 
rest  of  our  prize-money  put  together." 

209 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

"Well,  Captain  Keene,  if  my  prize-money  comes  to  as 
much  as  that,  I  think  I  shall  be  nearly  as  well  off  as  my  little 
Jane  will  be.  Will  you  have  the  kindness  to  let  your  agent 
put  it  by  for  me  in  the  same  way  that  you  have  done  yours?" 

"  Yes,  Cross,  I  will  see  to  it  immediately ;  I  shall  write  to 
him  to-morrow,  or  the  day  after." 

After  a  little  conversation,  Cross  took  leave.  The  next  day 
I  took  post-horses,  and  went  over  to  Madeline  Hall,  having 
two  or  three  days  before  received  a  note  from  the  Honourable 
Miss  Delmar,  saying  how  glad  she  should  be  to  see  me  as  a 
friend  and  shipmate  of  her  nephew,  Lord  de  Versely  ;  so  that 
it  appeared  that  the  old  lady  had  been  written  to  by  Lord  de 
Versely  respecting  me.  I  arrived  early  in  the  afternoon,  and 
the  post-chaise  drove  up  the  avenue  of  magnificent  chestnut 
trees  which  led  to  the  mansion. 


CHAPTER  XXXII 

L  MUST  say  that  I  was  very  much  excited  ;  I  was  now  arriv- 
ing at  the  site  of  my  birth,  and  it  brought  to  my  mind  the 
details  given  me  by  my  poor  mother,  when,  finding  she  could 
no  longer  conceal  the  truth  from  me,  she  entered  into  a 
narrative  to  extenuate  her  conduct,  pointing  out  her  tempta- 
tions, and  how  fatal  to  her  were  opportunity  and  seclusion. 
Her  form  was  before  me  with  the  tears  running  down  her 
cheeks  as  she  made  her  humiliating  confession  to  her  own 
son,  and  I  could  not  help  exclaiming,  as  I  cast  my  eye  upon 
the  beautiful  grounds,  "  My  poor  mother  !  " 

The  chaise  stopped,  and  the  boys  dismounted  and  rang 
the  bell.  In  a  minute  three  or  four  servants  made  their  ap- 
pearance, and  on  inquiring,  I  found  that  the  Honourable 
Miss  Delmar  was  at  home,  and  visible. 

"  Colonel  Delmar,  I  presume,  sir  ?  "  said  the  old  butler. 

"  No,"  replied  I — "  Captain  Keene."          i 

The  butler  looked  me  full  in  the  face,  and  earnestly ;  and 
then,  as  if  recollecting  himself,  he  bowed  and  went  on. 

"Captain  Keene,  madam,1'  said  he,  as  he  introduced  me 
into  a  large  room,  at  the  end  of  which  sat  a  venerable-looking 

300 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

old  lady  very  busy  with  her  knitting  needle,  and  another, 
almost  equally  ancient,  sitting  on  a  low  stool  beside  her. 

As  I  advanced,  the  old  lady  made  me  a  bow  as  she  remained 
in  her  chair,  and  looked  at  me  through  her  spectacles.  She 
certainly  was  the  beau-ideal  of  old  age.  Her  hair,  which  was 
like  silver,  was  parted  in  braid,  and  was  to  be  seen  just  peep- 
ing from  under  her  cap  and  pinners  ;  she  was  dressed  in 
black  silk,  with  a  snow-white  apron  and  handkerchief,  and 
there  was  an  air  of  dignity  and  refinement  about  her  which 
made  you  feel  reverence  for  her  at  first  sight.  As  I  ap- 
proached to  take  the  chair  offered  to  me,  the  other  person, 
who  appeared  to  be  a  sort  of  attendant,  was  shuffling  her 
feet  to  rise  ;  but  as  soon  as  Mrs.  Delmar  had  said,  "  You  are 
welcome,  Captain  Keene ;  sit  still,"  she  continued,  "my 
child,  there  is  no  occasion  to  go  away."  I  could  scarcely 
help  smiling  at  the  old  lady  calling  a  woman  of  past  sixty, 
if  not  even  further  advanced,  a  child  ;  but  the  fact  was,  that 
Phillis  had  been  her  attendant  as  lady's  maid  for  many 
years,  and  subsequently  promoted  to  the  position  of  humble 
companion. 

As  for  Miss  Delmar,  as  I  afterwards  found  out  from  her  own 
lips,  she  was  upwards  of  eighty-seven  years  old,  but  still  in 
perfect  good  health,  and  in  full  possession  of  all  her  faculties  ; 
Phillis  therefore  was  much  younger,  and  as  the  old  lady  had 
had  her  in  her  employ  ever  since  she  was  twenty-two,  it  was  not 
surprising  that  she  continued  to  address  her,  as  she  had  done 
for  so  many  years,  as  a  young  person  compared  to  herself; 
indeed  I  have  no  doubt  but  that  the  old  lady,  following  up  her 
association  of  former  days,  and  forgetting  the  half-century  that 
had  intervened,  did  consider  her  as  a  mere  child.  The  old 
lady  was  very  chatty  and  very  polite,  and  as  our  conversation 
naturally  turned  on  Lord  de  Versely,  of  whom  I  spoke  in  terms 
of  admiration  and  gratitude,  I  had  soon  established  myself  in 
her  good  graces.  Indeed,  as  I  subsequently  discovered,  her 
nephew  was  the  great  object  of  her  affections.  His  younger 
brother  had  neglected  her,  and  was  never  mentioned  except 
when  she  regretted  that  Lord  de  Versely  had  no  children,  and 
that  the  title  would  descend  to  his  brother. 

She  requested  me  to  stay  dinner,  which  I  did  not  refuse, 
and  before  dinner  was  over  I  had  made  great  progress  in  the 
old  lady's  esteem.  As;  when  dinner  was  announced,  her  com- 

301 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

panion  disappeared,  we  were  then  alone.  She  asked  me  many 
questions  relative  to  Lord  de  Versely,  and  what  had  occurred 
during  the  time  that  I  was  serving  with  him ;  and  this  was  a 
subject  on  which  I  could  be  eloquent.  I  narrated  several  of 
our  adventures,  particularly  the  action  with  the  Dutch  frigate, 
and  other  particulars  in  which  I  could  honestly  do  credit  to  his 
lordship,  and  I  often  referred  to  his  kindness  for  me. 

"  Well,  Captain  Keene,  my  nephew  has  often  spoken  to  me 
about  you,  and  now  you  have  done  him  credit  in  proving  that 
he  had  made  you  a  good  officer ;  and  I  have  heard  how  much 
you  have  distinguished  yourself  since  you  have  left  him." 

"  Or  rather  he  left  me,  madam,"  replied  I,  "when  he  was 
summoned  to  the  House  of  Peers." 

"  Very  true,"  replied  the  old  lady.  "  I  suppose  you  know 
that  you  were  born  in  this  house,  Captain  Keene  ?  " 

"  I  have  been  told  so,  madam." 

"  Yes,  I  have  no  doubt  your  poor  mother  that's  gone  must 
have  told  you.  I  recollect  her — a  very  clever,  active,  and  pretty 
young  woman  (here  the  old  lady  sighed)  ;  and  I  held  you  in 
my  arms,  Captain  Keene,  when  you  were  only  a  few  days  old." 

"You  did  me  great  honour,  madam,"  replied  I. 

Here  the  conversation  took  another  channel,  which  I  was 
not  sorry  for. 

After  tea  I  rose  to  take  my  leave,  and  then  I  received  an 
invitation  from  the  old  lady  to  come  and  spend  some  time  at 
Madeline  Hall,  and  to  come  a  few  days  before  the  first  of 
September,  that  I  might  join  the  shooting  party.  "I  expect 
my  nephew,  Lord  de  Versely,"  said  she,  "  and  there  is  Colonel 
Delmar  of  the  Rifles,  a  cousin  of  Lord  de  Versely,  also  coming, 
and  one  or  two  others.  Indeed  I  expect  the  colonel  every  day. 
He  is  a  very  pleasant  and  gentlemanlike  man." 

I  accepted  the  invitation  with  pleasure,  and  then  took  my 
leave.  The  chaise  drove  off,  and  I  was  soon  in  a  deep  reverie  ; 
I  called  to  mind  all  my  mother  had  told  me,  and  I  longed  to 
return  to  the  Hall,  and  visit  those  scenes  which  had  been 
referred  to  in  my  mother's  narrative ;  and  more  than  that, 
I  wished  to  meet  Lord  de  Versely  on  the  spot  which  could 
not  fail  to  call  to  his  mind  my  mother,  then  young,  fond,  and 
confiding  ;  how  much  she  had  sacrificed  for  him,  how  true  she 
had  proved  to  his  interests,  and  how  sacred  the  debt  of  obliga- 
tion, which  he  could  only  repay  by  his  conduct  towards  me. 

302 


PEKCIVAL  KEENE 

On  my  return  to  Portsmouth,  I  found  that  orders  had  come 
down  for  the  paying  off  the  Diligente,  and  recommissioning 
her  immediately.  As  the  men  would  now  be  free  (until  again 
caught  by  the  impress,  which  would  not  be  long),  I  turned 
up  the  ship's  company,  and  asked  how  many  of  them  would 
enter  for  the  Circe.  I  pointed  out  to  them  that  they  would 
be  impressed  for  other  vessels  before  long,  but  that  I  could 
give  them  each  three  months  of  absence,  upon  which  they 
would  not  be  molested,  and  that  by  three  months  all  their 
money  would  be  gone,  and  if  it  were  gone  before  that  time, 
the  guard-ship  would  receive  them  when  they  had  had 
enough  of  the  shore.  By  this  method  I  proposed  to  myself  to 
obtain  the  foundation  of  a  good  ship's  company.  I  was  not 
disappointed.  Every  man  I  wished  to  take  with  me  volun- 
teered, and  I  wrote  leave  of  absence  tickets  for  three  months 
for  them  all  as  belonging  to  the  Circe,  reporting  what  I  had 
done  to  the  Admiralty.  The  brig  was  then  paid  off,  and  the 
next  day  recommissioned  by  a  Captain  Rose,  with  whom  I  had 
some  slight  acquaintance. 

As  I  was  now  my  own  master  again — for  although  ap- 
pointed to  the  Circe,  I  had  nothing  but  my  pennant  to  look 
at, — I  thought  that  by  way  of  a  little  change,  I  would  pass  a 
few  days  at  the  Isle  of  Wight ;  for  this  was  the  yachting 
season,  and  I  had  made  the  acquaintance  of  many  of  the 
gentlemen  who  belonged  to  the  club.  That  I  had  no  diffi- 
culty in  getting  into  society  may  easily  be  imagined.  A 
post-captain's  commission  in  his  Majesty's  navy  is  a  certain 
passport  with  all  liberal  and  really  aristocratical  people ;  and, 
as  it  is  well  known  that  a  person  who  has  not  had  the 
advantage  of  interest  and  family  connections  to  advance 
in  the  service,  must  have  gained  his  promotion  by  his  own 
merits,  his  rank  is  sufficient  to  establish  his  claims  to  family 
connections  or  personal  merit,  either  of  which  is  almost 
universally  acknowledged ;  I  say  almost  universally,  because, 
strange  to  say,  for  a  succession  of  reigns,  the  navy  never  has 
been  popular  at  court.  In  that  region,  where  merit  of  any 
kind  is  seldom  permitted  to  intrude,  the  navy  have  generally 
been  at  a  discount.  Each  succession  of  the  House  of  Hanover 
has  been  hailed  by  its  members  with  fresh  hopes  of  a  change 
in  their  favour,  which  hopes  have  ended  in  disappointment ; 
but  perhaps  it  is  as  well.  The  navy  requires  no  prophet  to 

303 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

tell  it,  in  the  literal  sense  of  the  word,  that  one  cannot 
touch  pitch  without  being  defiled ;  but  there  is  a  moral 
pitch,  the  meanness,  the  dishonesty,  and  servility  of  court, 
with  which,  I  trust,  our  noble  service  will  never  be  con- 
taminated. 

I  have,  however,  somewhat  wandered  from  my  subject, 
which  was  brought  up  in  consequence  of  a  gentleman  who 
had  paid  me  every  attention  at  a  large  club  down  at  Cowes, 
to  which  I  had  been  invited,  inquiring  of  me,  across  the 

table,  if  I  were  connected  with  the  Keenes  of  ?     My 

reply  was  ready.  "  I  did  not  think  that  I  was ;  my  father 
had  died  a  young  man  in  the  East  Indies.  I  knew  that  he 
was  of  Scotch  descent  (which  he  was),  but  I  was  too  young 
to  know  anything  about  his  connections,  whom  he  had 
quitted  at  an  early  age ;  since  that  I  had  been  educated  and 
brought  forward  by  Lord  de  Versely,  who  had,  since  the 
death  of  my  mother,  treated  me  as  if  I  were  his  own  son." 
This  was  said  openly,  and  being  strictly  true,  of  course  with- 
out hesitation  on  my  part.  It  was  quite  sufficient ;  I  had 
noble  patronage,  and  it  was  therefore  to  be  presumed  that 
I  was  somebody,  or  that  patronage  would  not  have  been  ex- 
tended. I  mention  this,  because  it  was  the  only  time  that 
I  was  ever  questioned  about  my  family ;  it  was  therefore  to 
be  presumed  that  my  reply  was  considered  satisfactory. 

I  accepted  an  invitation  on  board  of  the  yacht,  and  sailed 
about  for  several  days,  very  much  amused  and  flattered  by 
the  attention  shown  to  me  by  the  noble  commodore  and 
others.  One  day  I  fell  in  with  an  old  acquaintance.  A 
small  vessel,  of  about  twenty  tons,  cutter-rigged,  came  down 
under  the  stern  of  the  commodore's  yacht ;  it  was  then  very 
smooth  water,  very  light  wind,  and,  moreover,  very  hot 
weather ;  and  one  of  the  squadron,  who  was  standing  by  me 
on  the  taffrail,  said,  "  Keene,  do  look  at  this  craft  coming 
down  under  our  stern — there's  quite  a  curiosity  in  it.  It  is  a 
yacht  belonging  to  an  Irish  Major  O'Flynn,  as  he  calls  him- 
self; why  the  O,  I  don't  know;  but  he's  a  good  fellow,  and 
very  amusing ;  there  he  is  abaft ;  he  has  the  largest  whiskers 
you  ever  saw ;  but  it  is  not  of  him  I  would  speak.  Wait  a 
little,  and  as  soon  as  the  square  sail  is  out  of  the  way,  you 
will  see  his  wife.  Such  a  whapper  !  I  believe  she  weighs 
more  than  the  rhinoceros  did  which  was  at  Post-down  fair." 

304 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

As  the  vessel  neared,  I  did  behold  a  most  enormous 
woman  in  a  sky-blue  silk  dress  and  a  sky-blue  parasol  over 
her  head ;  the  bonnet  having  been  taken  off,  I  presume, 
on  account  of  the  heat.  "  She  is  a  monster/'  replied  I ; 
"  the  major  was  a  bold  man ;  I  think  I  have  seen  the  face 
before." 

"  I  am  told  she  was  the  daughter  of  a  purser,  and  had  a 
lot  of  money/'  continued  my  friend. 

I  recollected  then,  and  I  replied,  "  Yes,  I  know  now ;  her 
name  was  Culpepper." 

"  That  was  the  name/'  replied  he  ;  "  I  recollect  now." 

The  reader  may  probably  recollect  Miss  Medea,  who  knew 
so  well  how  to  put  that  and  that  together ;  and  her  mother, 
who  I  presumed  had  long  ago  been  suffocated  in  her  own  fat, 
a  fate  which  I  thought  that  Mrs.  O'Flynn  would  meet  with 
as  well  as  her  mother.  The  lady  did  not  recognise  me,  which 
I  was  not  sorry  for.  I  certainly  should  have  cut  her  dead.  I 
walked  forward,  and  my  thoughts  reverted  to  the  time  when 
my  mother  first  brought  me  down  to  embark,  and  I  was  taken 
care  of  by  Bob  Cross.  This  recollection  of  Bob  Cross  re- 
minded me  that  I  had  promised  to  be  at  his  wedding,  and 
that  it  was  to  take  place  on  the  following  day,  which  I  had 
quite  forgotten.  So  that  Mrs.  O'Flynn  did  me  a  good  turn 
at  last,  as  I  should  have  neglected  my  promise,  if  she  had 
not  made  her  appearance,  sailing  along  like  an  elephantine 
Cleopatra. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII 

_L  HAD  not  called  upon  old  Waghorn,  the  uncle  of  Jane,  as 
I  was  fearful  that  he  might  recognise  the  pretended  agent  of 
former  days  with  the  now  captain  of  the  Circe.  The  blind  are 
very  acute  in  all  their  other  senses, — a  species  of  reparation 
made  by  nature  by  way  of  indemnification  for  the  severe  loss 
which  they  have  sustained. 

As  I  grew  older  I  grew  wiser,  and  I  could  not  help  re- 
marking, that  the  acts  of  deceit,  which  as  a  midshipman  I 
thought  not  only  very  justifiable,  but  good  fun,  were  invari- 
ably attended  with  unpleasant  results.  Even  in  this  trifle 

305  u 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

my  heart  misgave  me,  whether  on  my  appearance  at  the 
wedding  I  might  not  be  recognised,  and  be  the  cause  of 
creating  a  breach,  by  raising  suspicions  on  the  part  of  the 
blind  man,  which  might  prevent  the  wedding ;  and  I  had 
stated  my  fears  to  Bob  Cross.  "  Well,  Captain  Keene,  it  was 
all  done  with  good  intentions,  and  I  do  not  think  that  there 
is  much  fear.  It's  a  long  while  back,  and  you  were  not  so 
much  of  a  man  as  you  are  now.  They  do  say,  that  cheating 
never  thrives,  and  I  believe  that  it  seldom  does  in  the  long- 
run.  Jane  will  be  very  much  disappointed  if  you  do  not 
come." 

"  There  is  no  help  for  it,  Bob ;  I  must  disguise  my  voice  ; 
I  must  cheat  a  little  now  to  hide  the  first  cheat.  That's 
always  the  case  in  this  world." 

"  I  don't  call  it  cheating,  sir ;  my  ideas  are,  that  if  you 
cheat  to  get  an  advantage  for  yourself,  then  you  do  cheat; 
but  when  you  do  so  to  help  another,  there's  no  great  cheating 
in  the  case." 

"  I  cannot  agree  with  you,  Bob ;  but  let  us  say  no  more 
about  it.  I  will  be  with  you  at  ten  o'clock,  which  you  say  is 
the  hour  that  you  go  to  church." 

This  conversation  took  place  on  the  morning  of  the 
wedding.  About  eight  o'clock,  I  dressed  and  breakfasted, 
and  then  took  a  wherry  over  to  Gosport,  and  in  half-an-hour 
was  at  the  house,-  which  was  full  of  people  with  white  favours, 
and  in  such  a  bustle,  that  it  reminded  me  of  a  hive  of  bees 
just  previous  to  a  swarm. 

"  Here's  the  captain  come,  sir,"  said  Bob,  who  had  received 
me  ;  for  the  bride  was  still  in  her  room  with  her  mother. 

"  Happy  to  see  you,  sir ;  I  wish  you  joy,  Mr.  Waghorn," 
replied  I,  taking  his  hand. 

"You're  the  Captain  Keene,  then,  whose  letters  to  the 
Admiralty  Jane  has  so  often  read  to  me  in  the  newspapers. 
Where  have  we  met  ?  I've  heard  that  voice  before." 

"  Indeed,  sir  ! "  replied  I,  rather  confused. 

"  Yes,  I  have ;  I  always  know  a  voice  again  ;  let  me  see — 
why,  captain,  you  were  here  with  Cross,  the  first  time  I  ever 
heard  him ;  you  were  an  agent,  and  now  you're  a  captain," 
continued  the  old  man,  looking  very  grave. 

"  Hush,  sir,"  replied  I ;  "  pray  don't  speak  so  loud.  Do 
you  recollect  what  I  came  about  ?  Do  you  suppose  that  when 

306 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

I  was  a  party  to  the  escape  of  a  prisoner,  I  could  let  you  know, 
being  a  perfect  stranger,  that  I  was  an  officer  in  his  Majesty's 
service  ?  " 

"  Very  true/'  replied  the  old  man,  "  I  cannot  blame  you  for 
that.  But  was  Cross  an  officer  in  the  service  at  that  time  ?  " 

"  No,  sir,  he  was  not,"  replied  I ;  "he  was  appointed  boat- 
swain to  my  ship  by  the  admiral  in  the  West  Indies." 

"  I'm  glad  to  hear  that.  I  thought  Cross  might  have  de- 
ceived me  also ;  every  one  tries  to  cheat  a  blind  man — and 
the  blind  are  suspicious.  I'm  glad  that  Cross  did  not  deceive 
me,  or  I  would  have  seen  my  niece  in  her  coffin  before — but 
say  no  more  about  it,  you  could  not  do  otherwise ;  all's  right, 
sir,  and  I'm  very  glad  to  see  you,  and  to  have  the  honour  of 
your  company.  Sit  down,  sir,  I  beg.  By-the-bye,  Captain 
Keene,  have  you  heard  of  the  girl  since  ?  " 

"  My  dear  sir,"  replied  I,  glad  to  give  him  my  confidence, 
"  there  are  no  secrets  between  us  now ;  it  was  no  girl,  but 
the  son  of  the  captain  of  the  Dutch  frigate,  and  an  officer, 
whose  escape  you  assisted  in." 

"  I  don't  wonder,  then,  at  your  not  making  yourself  known," 
replied  the  old  man.  "  Why,  if  I  had  known  it  had  been  an 
officer,  I  never  would  have  had  a  hand  in  the  job ;  but  a  poor 
girl,  it  was  mere  charity  to  assist  her,  and  I  thought  I  was 
acting  the  part  of  a  Christian,  poor  blind  sinner  that  I  am." 

"You  did  a  kind  act,  sir,  and  Heaven  will  reward  you." 

"  We  are  sad  wicked  creatures,  Captain  Keene,"  replied  he. 
"  I  wish  this  day  was  over,  and  my  poor  Jane  made  happy  ; 
and  then  I  should  have  nothing  to  do  but  to  read  my  Bible, 
and  prepare  for  being  called  away  ;  it's  never  too  soon,  depend 
upon  it,  sir." 

The  appearance  of  the  bride  with  her  bridesmaids  put  an 
end  to  our  conversation,  which  I  was  not  sorry  for.  The  order 
of  march  was  arranged,  and  we  started  off  for  the  church  on 
foot,  making  a  veiy  long  and  very  gay  procession.  In  half- 
an-hour  it  was  all  over,  and  we  returned.  I  then  had  an 
opportunity  of  telling  Cross  what  had  passed  between  me 
and  old  Waghorn. 

"  It  was  touch  and  go,  sir,  that's  sartain,"  replied  Bob ; 
"  for  if  the  old  gentleman  had  not  been  satisfied,  he  is  so 
obstinate  that  the  match  would  have  been  broken  off  at  the 
church  door.  Well,  sir,  I  always  said  that  you  were  the  best 

307 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

to  get  out  of  a  scrape  that  I  ever  knew  when  you  were  a 
middy,  and  you  don't  appear  to  have  lost  the  talent ;  it  was 
well  managed." 

"  Perhaps  so,  Bob ;  but  in  future  I  do  not  intend  to  get 
into  them,  which  will  be  managing  better  still."  I  then  left 
Cross,  and  went  to  talk  to  Jane,  who  certainly  looked  very 
handsome.  The  tables  for  dinner  were  laid  out  in  the 
garden,  for  it  was  a  beautiful  warm  autumnal  day.  We  sat 
down  about  twenty,  and  a  merrier  party  I  never  was  at.  Old 
Waghorn  was  the  only  one  who  got  tipsy  on  the  occasion  ; 
and  it  was  very  ridiculous  to  hear  him  quoting  scraps  of 
Scripture  in  extenuation,  and  then  calling  himself  a  poor 
blind  old  sinner.  It  was  not  till  eight  o'clock  in  the  evening 
that  the  party  broke  up,  and  I  had  then  some  difficulty  to 
persuade  some  to  go  away.  As  for  the  old  man,  he  had  been 
put  to  bed  an  hour  before.  I  stayed  a  few  minutes  after  all 
were  gone,  and  then  kissing  Jane,  and  shaking  hands  with 
Bob,  I  went  back  to  Portsmouth. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV 

J\S  soon  as  I  was  at  home  again,  the  events  of  the  day,  from 
association  of  ideas,  naturally  brought  Minnie  Vanderwelt  into 
my  head,  and  I  recollected  that  I  had  not  written  to  her 
since  my  promotion  and  appointment  to  the  Circe ;  I  there- 
fore sat  down  and  indited  a  long  letter,  ending  with  express- 
ing my  regret  at  not  having  received  an  answer  to  the 
many  I  had  written,  especially  the  last,  which  informed  them 
of  my  arrival  in  England,  and  gave  them  the  knowledge 
where  to  address  me.  I  also  requested  to  know  what  had 
become  of  young  Vangilt,  whose  escape  I  had  contrived. 
Having  enclosed  the  letter  to  the  agent,  and  begged  him  to 
have  it  forwarded  to  Hamburg,  I  went  to  bed,  and,  after  the 
excitement  of  the  day,  had  a  variety  of  dreams,  in  which 
Minnie's  form  was  continually  making  its  appearance. 

The  following  morning  brought  me  a  long  letter  from  my 
aunt,  Mrs.  Bridgeman,  very  lively  and  very  amusing :  the  only 
news  in  it  was  the  marriage  of  Lieutenant  Flat  to  a  tavern- 

308 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

keeper's  daughter,  which  had  given  great  offence  to  the 
marine  corps,  as  she  was  said  to  be  rather  light  of  carriage. 
She  begged  me  very  much  to  pay  them  a  visit,  but  that  was 
not  at  all  to  my  wishes,  I  most  candidly  confess.  My  pride 
revolted  at  it ;  I  even  doubt  if  I  would  have  fitted  out  a  ship 
at  Chatham,  where  people  could  point  their  finger  at  me,  and 
say,  "That  post-captain's  father  was  a  marine  in  those  barracks." 
Another  letter  from  Lord  de  Versely,  announcing  his  arrival 
at  Madeline  Hall,  and  requesting  me  to  join  him  as  soon  as 
possible,  was  infinitely  more  to  my  taste,  and  I  resolved  to 
start  next  day,  which  I  did.  I  was  very  cordially  received 
by  his  lordship,  and  very  graciously  by  the  old  lady,  who 
expressed  a  hope  that  I  would  now  make  a  long  visit. 
About  an  hour  after  I  had  airived,  Colonel  Delmar  made  his 
appearance :  he  was  a  cousin  of  Lord  de  Versely's,  but  I 
certainly  should  not,  from  his  appearance,  have  supposed  him 
to  be  a  Delmar ;  for  he  was  short,  round-shouldered,  and 
with  a  fat,  rubicund  face,  apparently  about  forty  years  of  age. 
I  observed,  after  our  introduction,  that  his  eyes  were  very 
often  directed  towards  me ;  but  his  manner  was  courteous, 
and  although  his  appearance  at  first  sight  was  not  prepossess- 
ing, his  conversation  was  very  agreeable,  and  he  was  very 
gentlemanlike.  Before  dinner  was  over,  I  felt  a  great  liking 
for  him. 

As  the  first  of  September  had  not  yet  arrived,  the  birds 
had  still  two  days  of  peace  and  quietness,  leading  their  broods 
through  the  stubbles,  and  pointing  out  to  them  the  corn 
which  had  spilled  on  the  ground  for  their  food.  That  the  old 
birds  had  some  idea  of  a  gun,  it  is  to  be  supposed,  from  their 
having  escaped  the  season  before ;  but  the  young  coveys  had 
still  that  pleasure  to  come.  In  two  days  more  they  were  to  be 
initiated  into  the  astonishing  fact,  that  fast  as  feathers  could 
fly,  lead  could  fly  faster,  and  overtake  them. 

The  two  or  three  days  before  the  shooting  season  begins 
are  invariably  very  tedious  in  the  country,  and  I  passed  my 
mornings  chiefly  in  roving  through  the  park  and  pleasure- 
grounds  ;  and  I  hardly  need  say,  that  during  those  rambles  my 
thoughts  were  chiefly  occupied  with  the  intimacy  which  had 
taken  place  between  my  mother  and  Lord  de  Versely.  On 
the  third  morning  after  my  arrival  I  had  been  strolling  for 
more  than  two  hours,  when  I  came  to  a  very  retired  sort 

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PERCIVAL  KEENE 

of  Gothic  cell,  formed  of  the  distended  limbs  of  an  old  oak, 
intermixed  with  stones  and  grass.  It  faced  towards  the  park, 
and  was  built  up  on  the  green  lawn  amidst  clumps  of  laurel 
and  other  evergreens.  I  threw  myself  on  the  benches.  It  was 
just  the  place  for  a  man  to  select  for  a  rendezvous :  just  the 
secret  spot  where  a  maiden  could  listen  without  trembling  at 
intruders ;  and  it  struck  me  that  this  must  have  been  the 
try  sting-place  of  my  parents.  For  an  hour  I  remained  there, 
castle-building  for  the  future,  and  musing  on  the  past,  when  I 
heard  a  voice,  close  to  me  on  the  other  side  of  the  cell,  the 
back  of  which  was  turned  towards  the  Hall.  I  knew  the  voice 
to  be  that  of  the  old  lady,  who,  it  appears,  had  as  usual  come 
out  in  her  garden-chair,  and  was  dragged  by  her  attendant, 
Phillis :  the  wheels  had  made  no  noise  on  the  velvet  lawn, 
and,  until  roused  by  her  voice,  I  was  not  aware  of  their 
approach. 

"  Nonsense,  Phillis ;  why,  child,  what  should  you  know 
about  such  things  ?  "  said  the  old  lady. 

"  If  you  please  to  recollect,  rna'am,"  replied  Phillis,  who 
certainly  was  old  enough  to  recollect  all  the  passages  in  a 
woman's  life,  "  I  was  your  maid  at  the  time  that  it  happened, 
and  I  was  constantly  in  company  with  Bella  Mason.  She 
was  very  respectful  towards  you,  but  you  did  not  know  what 
her  temper  was ;  there  never  was  so  proud  a  young  woman, 
or  who  considered  herself  of  such  consequence  as  she  did — 
so  much  so,  that  she  treated  even  Mr.  Jonas,  the  butler,  and 
Airs.  Short,  the  housekeeper,  with  disdain." 

"  Well,  well,  I  know  that  she  was  proud  ;  her  mother  was 
always  a  proud  woman.  Mr.  Mason,  in  his  younger  days,  held 
property  of  his  own,  at  least  his  father  did,  but  he  ran 
through  it,  revelling  and  horse-racing;  but  what  does  that 
prove  ?  " 

"  I  only  say,  madam,  what  was  said  at  the  time  by  every- 
body, that  Bella  Mason  never  would  have  married  that  marine, 
whom  she  looked  upon  with  contempt,  although  he  certainly 
was  a  good-looking  young  man,  if  she  had  not  been  obliged 
to  do  so." 

"  But  why  obliged,  Phillis  ?  " 

"  To  conceal  her  shame,  madam ;  for,  if  you  recollect,  the 
child  was  born  three  months  after  marriage." 

"  I  recollect  that  very  well,"  replied  Miss  Delmar ;  "  it  was 

310 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

a  sad  thing,  and,  as  my  nephew  said,  I  ought  to  have  looked 
out  sharper  after  Bella  than  I  did,  and  not  have  allowed  her 
to  be  so  much  in  company  with  that  marine." 

"  That  marine,  ma'am  !  he  was  innocent  enough ;  Bella  was 
not  likely  to  listen  to  one  like  him." 

"  Who  can  you  mean  then,  Phillis  ?  " 

"Why,  Lord  de  Versely,  ma'am,  to  be  sure.  Everybody 
in  the  Hall  was  sure  the  child  was  his ;  he  and  Bella  were 
for  ever  together  for  months  before  her  marriage." 

"  Phillis,  Phillis  !  you  don't  know  what  you  are  saying ;  it's 
impossible ;  indeed,  I  recollect  talking  the  matter  over  with 
Lord  de  Versely,  who  was  then  Captain  Del  mar,  and  he  was 
more  shocked  at  the  impropriety  than  even  I  was,  and  offered 
to  give  the  marine  a  good  whipping." 

"  That  may  be,  madam,  but  still  Captain  Delmar  was  the 
father  of  that  boy  ;  for,  if  you  recollect,  old  Mrs.  Mason  came 
to  the  Hall,  and  went  away  almost  immediately." 

"  Well,  what  of  that  ?  she  was  displeased,  no  doubt." 

"Yes,  indeed,  she  was,  madam;  but  she  had  a  private 
meeting  with  Captain  Delmar ;  and  Mrs.  Short,  the  house- 
keeper, overheard  what  passed,  and  I  understand  that  the 
captain  did  not  deny  it  to  her.  One  thing  is  certain,  that 
Mrs.  Mason,  as  she  was  going  away,  in  her  rage  made  use  of 
language  about  Captain  Delmar  which  otherwise  she  never 
would  have  dared.  And  then,  madam,  only  look  at  Captain 
Keene, — why,  he  is  the  very  image  of  his  lordship." 

"  He  is  very  like  him,  certainly,"  said  the  old  lady,  musing. 

"  And  then,  madam,  do  you  think  his  lordship  would  have 
brought  the  boy  up  in  the  service,  and  made  him  a  post- 
captain,  if  he  had  been  the  son  of  a  marine  ?  And  then, 
madam,  see  how  fond  his  lordship  is  of  him;  why,  he  dotes 
upon  him ;  and  would  he  ask  the  son  of  his  own  servant  to 
come  down  to  Madeline  Hall  as  fit  company  for  you  ?  No ; 
so,  madam,  depend  upon  it,  Captain  Keene  is  a  Delmar,  and 
no  wonder  his  lordship  is  so  fond  of  him,  madam ;  for  he  is 
his  only  child,  and  I  dare  say  his  lordship  would  give  him 
his  right  hand  if  he  could  leave  him  the  barony  and  estates, 
instead  of  them  going  away,  as  they  will,  to  his  younger 
brother's  children." 

"  Well,  well,  Phillis,  it  may  be  so.  I  don't  know  what  to 
think  of  it.  I  shall  speak  to  Lord  de  Versely  about  it ;  for 

311 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

if  Captain  Keene  is  a  Delraar,  he  must  be  looked  to.  He 
is  a  Delmar,  although  with  the  bar  sinister.  I  feel  a  little 
cold,  Phillis,  so  drag  me  to  the  terrace,  that  I  may  get  a 
little  sunshine." 

Phillis,  I  thank  thee,  said  I  to  myself,  as  the  chair  wheeled 
away.  Your  love  of  chatting  may  be  useful  to  me.  Perhaps 
his  lordship  may  now  acknowledge  my  birth  to  his  aunt,  and 
good  may  come  of  it.  I  waited  till  the  chair  wheels  were 
heard  on  the  gravel  walk,  and  then  quitted  the  grotto,  and 
bent  my  steps  away  from  the  Hall,  that  I  might  commune 
with  my  own  thoughts  without  chance  of  interruption. 

I  had  quitted  the  park,  and  was  now  pacing  over  several 
fields,  one  after  another,  walking  as  if  I  had  some  important 
business  in  hand,  when,  in  fact,  my  legs  were  only  trying  to 
keep  pace  with  my  thoughts,  when  I  vaulted  over  a  gate, 
and  found  myself  in  a  narrow  lane,  sunk  deep  between  two 
hedges.  Indifferent  as  to  the  path  I  took,  I  turned  to  the 
right,  and  continued  on  my  way,  walking  as  fast  as  before, 
when  I  heard  the  low  bellowing  of  an  animal.  This  induced 
me  to  raise  my  eyes,  and  I  witnessed  a  curious  scene  in  front 
of  me,  which  I  will  narrate  in  the  next  chapter. 


CHAPTER  XXXV 

-/xS  I  said  before,  the  lane  was  very  narrow,  not  admitting 
more  than  one  vehicle  to  go  along  it,  and  was  sunk  between 
the  hedges  on  each  side,  so  as  to  render  it  not  very  easy  to 
climb  up  the  bank.  The  parties  who  presented  themselves 
were,  first  a  cow  with  her  tail  turned  towards  me,  evidently 
a  wicked  one,  as  she  was  pawing  and  bellowing  in  a  low 
tone,  and  advancing  towards  two  people  who  were  the  object 
or  her  attack.  One  was  a  very  little  man,  dressed  in  black, 
the  other  a  stout  burly  young  fellow  in  a  shooting  jacket ; 
but  what  amused  me  most  was,  that  the  stout  young  fellow, 
instead  of  being  in  the  advance  to  defend  one  so  much 
smaller  than  himself,  not  only  kept  behind  the  little  man, 
but  actually  now  and  then  held  him  by  the  shoulders  before 
his  own  person,  as  a  shield  to  ward  off  the  expected  attack 

312 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

of  the  vicious  animal.  It  is  true  that  the  little  personage 
expostulated,  and  spoke  several  times  in  a  tone  of  command 
to  his  companion,  but  his  words  were  unheeded,  and  the 
cow  advanced,  and  they  retreated  in  the  order  which  I  have 
described. 

I  quickened  my  pace,  so  as  to  gain  rapidly  upon  them,  and 
was  soon  but  a  few  yards  from  the  animal.  I  had  no  stick  or 
weapon  of  any  kind,  but  still  I  knew  how  to  manage  unruly 
cattle  as  sailors  do  when  they  are  sent  on  board  ship  alive. 
Indeed,  I  had  more  than  once  put  it  into  practice  myself; 
and  although  with  a  bull  it  was  not  a  very  easy  matter,  with 
a  cow  I  felt  certain  that  I  could  effect  my  purpose. 

The  animal  appeared  now  determined  to  come  to  close 
quarters ;  and  I  therefore  approached  her  until  I  was  about 
a  couple  of  feet  from  her  flank,  all  ready  for  a  spring,  in  case 
she  should  see  me,  and  turn  round.  But  she  was  too  busy 
with  the  parties  in  front  of  her,  and  at  last  she  made  a  run. 
The  stout  young  man  pushed  the  little  man  towards  the  cow, 
and  then  ran  for  it.  The  little  one,  in  his  attempt  to  recoil, 
fell  on  the  turf  and  the  cow  made  at  him.  I  sprang  forward, 
and  catching  the  horn  of  the  animal  farthest  from  me  in  my 
right  hand,  at  the  same  time  put  my  left  knee  on  the  horn 
nearest  to  me,  threw  all  my  weight  upon  it,  so  as  to  turn  the 
animal's  nose  up  in  the  air,  and  seizing  it  by  the  nostrils  with 
the  other  hand,  I  held  her  head  in  that  position,  which  of 
course  rendered  the  animal  harmless.  In  that  position  the 
cow  went  over  the  prostrate  man  without  doing  him  any 
injury,  plunging  and  capering,  so  as  to  extricate  herself  from 
my  weight.  I  remained  clinging  to  her  for  about  ten  yards 
further,  when  I  perceived  the  stout  fellow  ahead,  who 
hallooed  out,  "  Hold  her  tight !  hold  her  tight ! "  but  that  I 
would  no  longer  do,  as  it  was  fatiguing  work  ;  so,  as  a  punish- 
ment for  his  cowardice,  I  let  go  the  animal,  springing  clear  off, 
and  behind  it,  the  cow  galloping  away  as  fast  as  she  could 
down  the  lane,  and  the  fellow  screaming  and  running  before 
as  fast  as  he  could. 

Having  thus  rid  myself  of  the  cow  and  the  coward,  I 
turned  back  to  where  the  other  party  had  been  left  on  the 
ground,  and  found  him  standing  up,  and  looking  at  what  was 
passing.  "  You're  not  hurt,  sir  ?  "  said  I. 

"No,  thanks  to  you  ;  but  no  thanks  to  that  rascally  clerk 

313 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

of  mine,  who  wanted  to  shove  me  on  the  cow's  horns  to  save 
himself." 

"  He  has  a  run  for  it  now,  at  all  events/'  replied  I,  laugh- 
ing, "  and  I  let  the  cow  loose  on  purpose ;  for  if  I  had  held 
on,  and  used  all  my  strength,  I  could  have  brought  her  down 
on  her  side,  and  kept  her  down.  Oh  !  there's  a  break  in  the 
bank,  and  he  has  climbed  up  it,  so  he  is  safe  for  a  good  fright," 
continued  I ;  "  and  now  we  had  better  get  away  ourselves ; 
for  the  animal  may  come  back,  and,  although  one  can  pin 
her  in  that  way  from  behind,  it  is  not  to  be  done  when  she 
comes  stem  on  to  you." 

"  Well,  sir,  I  have  heard  of  taking  the  bull  by  the  horns  as 
not  being  a  very  wise  thing ;  but  taking  a  cow  by  them  has 
probably  saved  my  life.  I  thank  you." 

"We  manage  them  that  way  on  board  ship,"  replied  I, 
laughing. 

"  You  are  a  sailor,  then,  sir/'  replied  the  little  man.  "  Pro- 
bably I  have  the  pleasure  of  addressing  Captain  Keene  ?  " 

"  That  is  my  name,"  replied  I  ;  "  but  here  is  the  cow 
coming  back,  and  the  sooner  we  get  to  the  gate  the  better. 
I'm  not  ashamed  to  run  for  it,  and  I  suppose  you  are  not 
either."  So  saying,  I  took  to  my  heels,  followed  by  my  new 
companion,  and  we  very  soon  put  the  barred  gate  between  us 
and  our  enemy. 

"  I  will  wish  you  good  day  now,  sir,"  said  I ;  "  I  am  going 
to  the  Hall." 

"  I  am  also  bound  there,  Captain  Keene,"  replied  my  com- 
panion, "and,  with  your  permission,  will  accompany  you. 
Egad,  we  may  meet  another  cow,"  said  he,  laughing,  "  and  I 
prefer  being  in  your  company." 

He  then  informed  me  that  he  was  the  solicitor  and  agent 
of  the  Honourable  Miss  Delmar,  and  had  been  sent  for  about 
some  new  leases,  and  that  his  name  was  Warden.  During 
our  walk  I  found  him  a  very  cheerful,  merry  little  man,  and 
a  very  good  companion. 

On  our  arrival  at  the  Hall,  Mr.  Warden  was  informed  that 
Miss  Delmar  was  not  able  to  receive  him  just  then,  as  she 
was  very  busy  with  Lord  de  Versely,  who  was  with  her  in 
her  private  room.  I  therefore  remained  with  Mr.  Warden 
for  about  an  hour,  when  Lord  de  Versely  came  down 
and  joined  us.  He  appeared  to  be  in  a  remarkably  gay 

314 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

humour,   and    shook    me    warmly   by   the    hand    when    he 
came  in. 

"Now,  Mr.  Warden,  you  are  to  go  up  and  receive  your 
instructions,  and  recollect,  the  sooner  everything  is  executed 
the  better." 

Mr.  Warden  left  the  room,  and  I  narrated  to  his  lordship 
the  adventure  with  the  cow.  Just  as  I  had  begun  it,  Colonel 
Delmar  came  in,  and  listened  to  my  narration. 

In  about  half-an-hour  Mr.  Warden  came  downstairs,  and 
with  a  very  smiling  face. 

"Well,  Mr.  Warden,"  said  his  lordship,  "have  you  your 
instructions  ?  " 

"  Yes,  my  lord,  and  I  assure  you  that  I  never  shall  execute 
any  with  so  much  pleasure.  Has  Captain  Keene  told  you 
how  he  saved  my  life  this  morning  ?  " 

"  No,  he  did  not  say  that,"  replied  his  lordship  ;  "  but  he 
has  told  me  about  the  cow,  and  your  clerk  putting  you  fore- 
most in  the  breach." 

"  She  would  have  made  a  breach  in  me,  I  expect,  if  it  had 
not  been  for  the  captain,"  replied  Mr.  Warden ;  "  and  you 
may  therefore  believe  me,  my  lord,  when  I  say  that  I  shall 
obey  my  instructions  with  pleasure.  I  wish  you  good  morn- 
ing. Good  morning,  Captain  Keene.  Colonel,  your  most 
obedient."  So  saying,  Mr.  Warden  left  the  room.  I  was 
very  much  struck  with  Mr.  Warden's  observation,  that  he 
would  execute  his  instructions  with  so  much  pleasure ;  and 
when  I  turned  round,  I  perceived  that  Colonel  Delmar  was 
looking  very  grave  ;  but  the  first  dinner-bell  rang,  and  we  all 
went  to  our  rooms  to  dress.  Well,  thought  I,  as  I  was 
dressing  myself,  I  presume  the  old  lady  has  left  me  a 
thousand  or  two  in  her  will.  I  cared  little  about  that,  and 
then  I  dismissed  the  subject  from  my  thoughts ;  but  as  I  sat 
by  Miss  Delmar  after  dinner,  I  could  not  help  thinking  that 
her  manner  towards  me  was  more  affectionate  than  it  had 
been  before  ;  the  hauteur  with  which  her  civility  and  kindness 
had  hitherto  been  blended  appeared  to  have  been  thrown 
aside;  I  presumed  that  Lord  de  Versely  had  been  speaking  in 
my  favour,  and  felt  grateful  to  him  for  his  kindness.  Perhaps, 
thought  I,  he  has  revealed  to  her  the  secret  of  my  birth,  and  she 
now  considers  me  as  a  relation ;  perhaps  she  may  have  left  me 
more  than  I  supposed.  However,  it  is  of  little  consequence. 

315 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 


CHAPTER  XXXVI 

1  HE  next  day  being  the  first  of  September  we  were  all  very 
busy,  and  we  continued  to  shoot  every  day  for  a  week,  when 
I  thought  it  time  to  return  to  Portsmouth.  I  mentioned 
my  intentions  to  Lord  de  Versely,  and  was  pressed  to  stay 
until  the  following  Saturday,  it  being  then  Tuesday.  On 
Wednesday  Mr.  Warden  made  his  appearance,  attended  by 
his  clerk,  who  carried  a  bag  of  papers.  He  remained  half-an- 
hour,  and  then  went  home  ;  but  before  he  went,  he  asked 
me  to  dine  with  him  on  the  following  day,  and  I  consented. 

After  we  had  returned  from  shooting,  the  next  day,  I 
changed  my  clothes,  and,  leaving  word  with  the  butler  that 
I  dined  out,  I  took  my  way  across  the  fields.  I  was  walking 
very  quietly  on  the  grass,  by  the  side  of  a  high  hedge,  when 
I  perceived  two  other  men  on  the  opposite  side :  one  I 
recognised  as  Colonel  Delmar ;  the  other  I  could  not  at  first 
make  out ;  but,  as  I  approached  them,  I  perceived  that  the 
colonel  was  talking  with  the  clerk  of  Mr.  Warden.  I  passed 
them  without  notice,  for  they  were  very  earnestly  engaged 
in  conversation.  What  they  said  I  did  not  know ;  but  I 
thought  it  singular  that  so  proud  a  person  as  Colonel  Delmar 
should  be  so  engaged  with  an  inferior ;  a  little  reflection, 
however,  made  me  consider  that  there  was  nothing  very 
surprising  in  Colonel  Delmar's  entering  into  conversation 
with  a  man  in  the  country.  They  might  be  talking  about 
the  game,  or  a  hundred  other  things. 

I  had  a  very  friendly  dinner  with  Mr.  Warden,  who,  after 
dinner,  gave  me  a  hint  that  I  should  not  be  the  worse  for 
the  papers  signed  the  day  before.  He  did  not,  however,  say 
anything  positive,  as  it  would  have  been  a  breach  of  trust. 
When  I  spoke  of  my  soon  being  afloat  again,  he  said  that  he 
would  not  fail  to  watch  over  my  interests  at  the  Hall  during 
my  absence,  and  he  requested  that  I  would  write  to  him, 
and  consider  him  as  my  sincere  friend.  "  Of  course,  my 
dear  Captain  Keene,  I  do  not  expect  that  you  will  at  present 
give  me  your  entire  confidence ;  but  I  trust  you  will  when 
you  know  me,  and  at  all  events,  that  you  will  not  fail  to  do 
so  when  my  advice  may  be  of  use  to  you.  I  have  a  debt  of 

316 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

obligation  to  pay,  and  I  shall  be  most  happy  to  do  so,  if  it  is  in 
my  power."  I  thanked  Mr.  Warden  for  his  kind  offers,  and 
promised  to  avail  myself  of  them,  and  we  parted  great  friends. 

The  next  day,  Friday,  we  had  a  large  addition  to  our 
shooting  party.  I  had  not  been  out  more  than  an  hour, 
when,  as  I  was  standing  near  Lord  de  Versely,  who  was 
reloading  his  gun,  a  report,  close  to  us,  was  heard,  and  I 
fell  down  close  to  his  feet,  apparently  dead.  A  keeper,  who 
was  with  us,  ran  to  see  who  had  discharged  the  gun,  and 
found  that  it  was  Colonel  Delmar,  who  now  ran  up  to  us, 
stating,  in  hurried  terms,  to  Lord  de  Versely,  that  his  gun 
had  gone  off  accidentally  as  he  was  putting  on  a  copper  cap, 
and  bitterly  lamenting  the  circumstance.  Lord  de  Versely 
was  at  the  time  kneeling  down  by  my  side  (as  I  was  after- 
wards informed),  showing  the  greatest  anxiety  and  grief. 
My  hat  had  been  taken  off;  it  was  full  of  blood,  and  the 
back  of  my  head  was  much  torn  with  the  shot.  I  remained 
insensible,  although  breathing  heavily ;  a  gate  was  taken  off 
its  hinges,  and  I  was  laid  upon  it,  and  carried  to  the  Hall. 

Before  the  surgeon  had  arrived,  I  had  recovered  my  senses. 
On  examination,  I  had  had  a  very  narrow  escape ;  the  better 
part  of  the  charge  of  shot  had  entered  the  back  part  of  my 
head,  but  fortunately  not  any  had  penetrated  through  the 
skull.  After  a  tedious  hour,  employed  in  extracting  this 
load,  my  head  was  bound  up,  and  I  was  made  comfortable 
in  my  bed.  I  must  say  that  Lord  de  Versely  and  Colonel 
Delmar  vied  with  each  other  in  their  attentions  to  me ; 
the  latter  constantly  accusing  himself  as  the  author  of  the 
mischief,  and  watching  by  my  bed  the  major  part  of  the  day. 

This  accident  delayed  my  departure,  and  it  was  not  until 
three  weeks  afterwards  that  I  was  sufficiently  recovered  to 
leave  my  room.  In  the  meantime,  Lord  de  Versely,  assured 
that  I  was  out  of  danger,  went  back  to  London.  The  colonel, 
however,  remained.  His  kindness  and  attention  had  given 
me  great  pleasure,  and  we  had  become  very  intimate.  He 
had  offered  to  go  with  me  to  Portsmouth,  and  I  had  expressed 
the  pleasure  I  should  have  in  his  company.  The  Honourable 
Miss  Delmar  had  shown  the  greatest  feeling  and  anxiety  for 
me  during  my  illness ;  so  had  Mr.  Warden,  who  often  called 
to  see  me ;  in  fact,  I  found  myself  so  surrounded  by  well- 
wishers  and  friends,  that  I  hardly  regretted  my  accident. 

317 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

At  the  end  of  the  fifth  week,  I  was  sufficiently  recovered 
to  be  able  to  return  to  Portsmouth,  where  I  was  now  very 
anxious  to  arrive,  as  the  Circe  had  been  launched,  and 
already  received  her  lower  masts.  I  took  my  leave  of  Miss 
Delmar,  who  requested  my  early  return  to  Madeline  Hall, 
and,  accompanied  by  Colonel  Delmar,  was  once  more  estab- 
lished at  Billett's  Hotel. 

Bob  Cross  was  the  first  who  made  his  appearance ;  for  I 
had  written  to  him  to  acquaint  him  with  my  intended  return. 
He  had  heard  of  my  narrow  escape,  as  it  had  been  put  into 
the  newspaper ;  his  information  was  trifling,  but  to  the 
purpose.  All  was  right  as  to  the  frigate ;  she  sat  on  the 
water  like  a  duck ;  the  rigging  was  far  advanced,  and  the 
officers  seemed  of  the  right  sort.  All  was  right,  also,  as  to 
his  matrimonial  affairs ;  his  wife  was  everything  he  wished;  the 
old  gentleman  was  as  sweet  as  molasses,  and  he  had  laid  the 
keel  of  a  young  Cross.  We  then  entered  upon  business,  and 
I  gave  him  some  directions  as  to  the  rigging,  and  he  left  me. 

The  next  morning,  the  first  lieutenant  called  to  pay  his 
respects,  and  his  appearance  and  conversation  pi'oved  him  to 
be  what  he  had  been  recommended,  as  a  good  seaman  and  a 
brave  man.  I  went  with  him  to  the  dockyard  to  look  at  the 
frigate  in  the  basin,  and  afterwards  on  board  the  hulk  to  see 
the  other  officers,  and  the  men  who  had  been  entered.  I 
had  every  reason  to  be  satisfied,  and  I  then  returned  to  the 
hotel,  to  dine  with  Colonel  Delmar.  This  officer  appeared 
to  have  taken  a  strong  interest  in  me,  and  ever  since  the 
accident  of  his  gun  going  off,  which  had  so  nearly  been  fatal 
to  me,  was  unbounded  in  his  professions  of  regard.  I  must 
say,  that  a  more  gentlemanlike  or  more  amusing  companion 
I  never  met  with.  A  great  intimacy  was  established  between 
us ;  he  was  constantly  making  me  presents  of  value,  which  I 
would  fain  have  prevented  his  doing ;  occasionally,  when  we 
were  alone,  he  would  hint  something  about  my  family  and 
parentage  ;  but  this  was  a  subject  upon  which  I  was  invariably 
silent,  and  I  immediately  changed  the  conversation ;  once 
only  I  replied,  that  my  father  and  mother  were  both  dead. 

On  my  arrival  at  Portsmouth,  I  found  several  letters 
waiting  for  mie,  and  among  them  two  or  three  from  my 
mother,  who  had  seen  the  report  in  the  newspaper  of  the 
escape  that  I  had  had,  and,  of  course,  was  excessively  anxious 

318 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

to  hear  from  my  own  hand  how  I  was.  Had  I  thought  that 
it  would  have  come  to  her  knowledge,  I  certainly  should  have 
written  to  my  grandmother  from  Madeline  Hall ;  but  I 
imagined  that  she  knew  nothing  about  it  until  my  return  to 
Portsmouth,  when  her  anxious  letters  proved  the  contrary ; 
for  in  her  anxiety  she  had  quite  forgotten  her  promise  that 
all  communication  should  be  through  my  grandmother. 

As  soon  as  I  had  read  the  letters  I  locked  them  up  in  my 
desk,  and  hastened  to  reply  to  them,  assuring  my  mother  of  my 
perfect  restoration  to  health,  and  cautioned  her  not  to  break 
through  the  agreement  we  had  made  for  the  future,  pointing 
out  to  her  that,  had  these  letters  been  forwarded  to  Madeline 
Hall,  her  handwriting  would  have  been  recognised.  I  said,  in 
conclusion,  "  I  must  say,  my  dear  mother,  that  I  now  heartily 
repent  that  we  should  have  resorted  to  the  step  we  have  done 
in  pretending  that  you  are  dead.  That  some  advantage  was 
gained  by  it  at  the  time,  I  really  believe  ;  but  I  have  a  feeling 
that  eventually  some  mischief  may  occur  from  it.  I  hope  I 
may  be  mistaken  ;  but  if  I  am  not,  it  will  only  be  the  punish- 
ment which  I  deserve  for  an  act  of  duplicity  which  I  have 
repented  of  ever  since." 


CHAPTER  XXXYII 

JVJLY  time  was  now  fully  employed  during  the  day  in  fitting 
out  the  frigate  ;  but  in  the  evening  I  generally  dined  out  at  the 
admiral's  or  the  officers'  mess.  I  received  several  invitations 
from  the  marine  mess  to  dine  with  them ;  but  I  always  con- 
trived to  be  engaged,  for  I  was  fearful  that  something  might 
be  said  relative  to  my  putative  father,  Ben,  which  might  hurt 
my  pride.  Not  that  I  had  any  reason  to  suppose  that  any  of 
the  officers  would  have  been  guilty  of  any  such  rudeness  ;  but 
as  a  great  deal  of  wine  was  drunk  when  company  were  at  the 
mess,  and  there  were  many  young  men  there,  it  was  possible 
that,  having  the  knowledge,  they  might  in  their  cups  say 
something  which  they  never  would  have  done  when  they  were 
sober.  The  colonel  very  often  dined  there,  and  constantly 
asked  me  why  I  refused.  My  reply  was  certainly  not  the 
truth,  for  I  said  that  I  was  not  very  partial  to  marine  officers. 
We  had  been  three  weeks  at  Portsmouth,  when  Colonel 

319 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

Delmar  received  a  letter  from  a  friend  of  his,  a  Major  Staple- 
ton,  which  he  read  aloud  to  me  at  breakfast.  It  stated  that 
the  major  would  be  down  at  Portsmouth  the  next  day,  and 
requested  the  colonel  to  procure  him  good  rooms.  "  He  is  an 
excellent  fellow,  the  major,"  continued  the  colonel,  "and  will 
be  a  great  addition  to  our  society.  I  will  prevail  upon  him 
to  stay  a  week  or  ten  days." 

On  my  return  from  the  dockyard  on  the  following  day,  I 
found  the  colonel  and  Major  Stapleton  in  our  sitting-room, 
and  was  introduced  to  him.  He  was  a  small,  neatly-made 
man,  with  handsome  features,  very  well  dressed,  and  of  very 
fashionable  appearance.  Still  there  was  something  in  his  eye 
which  did  not  please  me ;  it  was  unsettled  and  wandering, 
and  never  fixed  upon  you  for  more  than  a  second.  He  met 
me  with  great  warmth  and  empressement,  shook  me  by  the 
hand,  and  declared  what  pleasure  he  had  in  making  my  ac- 
quaintance. We  sat  down  to  dinner,  and  were  very  merry. 

The  major  had  been  with  us  a  week,  when  we  had  a  large 
party  to  dinner.  The  wine  was  passed  freely,  and  we  all 
were  more  or  less  elated.  The  major  appeared  particularly 
so,  and  very  much  inclined  to  be  quarrelsome,  and  as  he  con- 
stantly addressed  himself  to  me,  I  was  very  cautious  in  what 
I  said,  as  I  perceived  that  he  was  in  the  humour  to  take 
offence  at  anything.  Several  very  offensive  remarks  were 
made  by  him,  as  if  to  pick  a  quarrel  between  us,  but  I  parried 
them  as  well  as  I  could,  and  I  was  making  an  observation, 
when  the  major  started  up,  and  told  me  that  what  I  said  was 
a  lie,  and  that  I  was  a  scoundrel  for  having  said  so. 

Now  as  my  observation  was  to  my  first  lieutenant,  and  was 
in  reference  to  the  hold  of  the  frigate,  there  could  be  no 
cause  for  this  insult,  and  it  could  only  be  ascribed  to  his  being 
in  a  state  of  intoxication.  My  reply  was  very  cool  and  quiet: 
"  Major,  you  do  not  know  what  you  are  saying ;  but  we  will 
talk  about  it  to-morrow  morning."  I  then  rose  and  went  to 
my  bedroom,  and  the  whole  party  broke  up  immediately. 

Shortly  afterwards,  Colonel  Delmar  came  into  my  room, 
and  blaming  the  major  very  much  for  his  conduct,  ascribed  it 
to  intoxication,  and  said  that  he  would  make  him  send  a 
proper  apology,  which  he  had  no  doubt  the  next  morning, 
when  the  major  was  informed  of  what  he  had  done,  he  would 
be  most  anxious  to  offer  himself. 

320 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

I  replied  that  I  presumed  so ;  and  he  quitted  my  room. 
Indeed,  so  fully  was  I  convinced  of  this  in  my  own  mind,  that  I 
gave  it  no  further  thought,  and  was  soon  fast  asleep,  and  did  not 
wake  until  Colonel  Delmar  entered  my  room  at  a  late  hour. 

"  Well,  Colonel  ?  "  said  I. 

"  My  dear  Keene,"  said  he,  "  I  have  been  to  the  major, 
and,  to  my  surprise,  when  I  stated  to  him  what  had  passed  at 
the  table  last  night,  his  reply  was,  that  he  perfectly  remem- 
bered all  about  it,  and  that  he  would  not  retract  what  he  had 
said.  I  remonstrated  with  him,  but  in  vain.  He  says  that  it 
is  cowardly  to  retract,  and  he  will  never  make  an  apology." 

"  Then,"  replied  I,  "  there  is  but  one  step  for  me  to  take." 

te  As  your  friend  I  told  him  so,  and  pressed  him  very  hard 
to  acknowledge  his  error,  but  he  continued  steadfast  in  his 
refusal.  I  then  took  upon  myself  to  say  that  I  was  there  as 
your  friend,  and  begged  he  would  name  an  officer  to  whom  I 
might  address  myself.  Did  I  not  right,  my  dear  Keene  ?  " 

"  Certainly ;  and  I  am  very  much  obliged  to  you,"  replied 
I,  putting  on  my  dressing-gown. 

"  He  must  be  mad,  utterly  and  positively  mad  ! "  exclaimed 
Colonel  Delmar ;  "  I  regret  very  much  that  he  has  ever  come 
here.  I  know  that  some  years  ago,  when  he  was  younger, 
he  fought  two  or  three  duels  rather  than  make  an  apology ; 
but  in  this  instance  it  was  so  unprovoked,  and  I  had  hoped 
that  he  had  got  over  all  that  nonsense  and  obstinacy.  Are 
you  a  good  shot,  Keene  ?  because  he  is  a  notorious  one." 

"  I  can  hit  my  man,  colonel ;  it  is  true  that  I  have  only 
fought  one  duel  in  my  life,  and  would  make  a  great  sacrifice 
rather  than  fight  another.  But  no  alternative  is  left  me  in 
this  case  ;  and  if  blood  is  shed,  it  must  be  on  the  head  of  him 
who  provoked  it." 

"  Very  true,"  replied  Colonel  Delmar,  biting  his  lip ;  "  I 
only  hope  you  will  be  successful." 

"  I  have  no  particular  animosity  against  Major  Stapleton," 
replied  I ;  "  but  as  he  is  such  a  good  shot,  I  shall  in  my  own 
defence  take  good  aim  at  him.  At  all  events,  I  have  suffi- 
cient acquaintance  with  firearms,  and  have  passed  through 
too  many  bullets  not  to  be  cool  and  collected  under  fire,  and 
I  therefore  consider  myself  quite  a  match  for  the  major. 
Now,  colonel,  if  you  will  order  the  breakfast,  I  will  be  down 
in  ten  minutes  or  a  quarter  of  an  hour." 

321  % 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

As  the  colonel  was  going  out  of  the  room,  his  servant 
knocked  at  the  door,  and  said  that  Captain  Green  wished  to 
speak  to  him  on  particular  business ;  I  therefore  did  not 
hurry  myself,  but  proceeded  quietly  with  my  toilet,  as  I  was 
well  aware  what  the  particular  business  was,  and  that  the  con- 
ference might  last  some  time.  On  my  descending  into  the 
sitting-room  I  found  the  colonel  alone. 

"  Well,  Keene,"  said  he,  "  everything  is  arranged,  for  the 
major  is  deaf  to  all  expostulation.  You  are  to  meet  this 
evening,  and  to  avoid  interference,  Captain  Green  and  I  have 
agreed  to  say  that  the  major  has  apologised,  and  all  is  made 
up."  Of  course  I  had  no  objection  to  make  to  that,  and  we 
parted  for  the  present,  I  walking  to  the  dockyard,  and  he 
remaining  at  the  hotel  to  write  letters. 

The  reader  may  think  that  I  took  matters  very  coolly ; 
but  the  fact  was,  I  had  no  preparations  to  make  in  case  of 
accident,  having  no  wife  or  family,  and  as  to  any  other  pre- 
parations at  such  a  time,  I  considered  them  as  mockery.  I 
knew  that  I  was  about  to  do  what  was  wrong — to  offend  my 
Creator — and  knowing  that,  and  sinning  with  my  eyes  open, 
much  as  I  regretted  that  I  was  compelled  to  do  so,  I  was  still 
resolved  upon  doing  it  How  great  may  be  the  culpability 
in  such  cases  when  you  are  called  upon  to  sacrifice  all  your 
worldly  interests,  and  to  be  despised  among  men,  or  run  the 
risk  of  involuntarily  taking  another  person's  life,  I  could  not 
pretend  to  judge ;  but  one  thing  was  certain,  that,  however 
it  may  be  judged  in  the  next  world,  in  this,  among  soldiers 
and  sailors,  it  will  always  be  considered  as  venial.  I  did, 
therefore,  what  most  in  my  profession  would  have  done  under 
the  same  circumstances.  I  drove  it  from  my  thoughts  as 
much  as  possible,  until  the  time  came  to  decide  my  fate.  I 
considered  that  I  must  be  judged  by  the  tenor  of  my  whole 
life,  and  that  repentance,  under  chance  of  death,  was  of 
about  the  same  value  as  deathbed  repentance. 

As  soon  as  the  dockyard  men  were  mustered  out,  I  returned 
to  the  hotel,  and  sat  down  to  dinner  with  the  colonel.  We 
had  scarcely  finished  a  bottle  of  claret,  when  it  was  time  to  be 
off.  We  walked  out  of  the  town,  to  the  place  appointed, 
where  I  found  my  adversary  and  his  second.  The  ground  was 
marked  out  by  the  colonel,  and,  when  I  took  my  station,  I 
found  that  the  setting  sun  was  in  my  eyes.  I  pointed  it  out 

322 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

to  him,  and  requested  my  position  might  be  changed.  The 
other  second  heard  me  do  so,  and  very  handsomely  agreed  that 
I  was  entitled  to  what  I  asked,  and  the  colonel  immediately 
apologised  for  his  remissness  to  my  interests.  The  ground 
was  then  marked  out  in  another  direction,  and  the  colonel 
took  me  to  my  place,  where  I  observed  that  one  of  the  white- 
washed posts  was  exactly  behind  me,  making  me  a  sure  mark 
for  my  antagonist.  "  I  am  not  used  to  these  things,  Keene," 
replied  Colonel  Delmar,  "and  I  make  strange  mistakes."  I 
then  pointed  out  a  direction  which  would  be  fair  for  both 
parties.  The  pistols  were  then  loaded,  and  put  into  our  hands. 
We  fired  at  the  signal.  I  felt  that  I  was  hit,  but  my  adversary 
fell.  I  was  paralysed  ;  and  although  I  remained  on  my  feet,  I 
could  not  move.  Captain  Green  and  the  colonel  went  up  to 
where  my  adversary  lay :  the  ball  had  passed  through  his  chest. 

"He  is  dead,"  said  Captain  Green — "quite  dead." 

"  Yes,"  replied  Colonel  Delmar.  "  My  dear  Keene,  I  con- 
gratulate you :  you  have  killed  the  greatest  scoundrel  that 
ever  disgraced  his  Majesty's  uniform." 

"  Colonel  Delmar,"  replied  Captain  Green,  "  the  observation 
might  well  be  spared  :  our  errors  and  our  follies  die  with  us." 

"  Very  true,  Captain  Green,"  replied  I.  "  I  can  only  express 
my  surprise  that  the  colonel  should  have  introduced  to  me  a 
person  whose  memory  he  now  so  bitterly  assails."  Somehow 
or  another,  from  the  commencement  of  the  duel,  Colonel  Del- 
mar's  conduct  had  excited  my  suspicions,  and  a  hundred 
things  crowded  into  my  memory,  which  appeared  as  if  illu- 
mined like  a  flash  of  lightning.  I  came  suddenly  to  the 
conviction  that  he  was  my  enemy,  and  not  my  friend.  But  I 
was  bleeding  fast :  some  marines,  who  were  passing,  were 
summoned,  and  the  body  of  Major  Stapleton  was  carried 
away  by  one  party,  while  I  was  committed  to  another,  and 
taken  back  to  the  hotel.  The  surgeon  was  sent  for,  and  my 
wound  was  not  dangerous.  The  ball  had  gone  deep  into  my 
thigh,  but  had  missed  any  vessel  of  magnitude.  It  was  soon 
extracted,  and  I  was  left  quiet  in  bed.  Colonel  Delmar  came 
up  to  me  as  before,  but  I  received  his  professions  with  great 
coolness.  I  told  him  that  I  thought  it  would  be  prudent  of 
him  to  disappear  until  the  affair  had  blown  over ;  but  he 
declared  to  me  that  he  would  remain  with  me  at  every  risk. 
Shortly  afterwards  Captain  Green  came  into  my  room  and 

323 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

said,  "  I'm  sure,  Captain  Keene,  you  will  be  glad  to  hear  that 
Major  Stapleton  is  not  dead.  He  had  swooned,  and  is  now 
come  to,  and  the  doctor  thinks  favourably  of  him." 

"  I  am  indeed  very  glad,  Captain  Green ;  for  I  had  no  ani- 
mosity against  the  major,  and  his  conduct  to  me  has  been 
quite  incomprehensible." 

After  inquiry  about  my  wound,  and  expressing  a  hope  that  I 
should  soon  be  well,  Captain  Green  left ;  but  I  observed  that 
he  took  no  further  notice  of  Colonel  Delmar  than  a  haughty 
salute  as  he  quitted  the  room ;  and  then,  to  my  surprise, 
Colonel  Delmar  said,  that  upon  consideration,  he  thought  it 
would  be  advisable  for  him  to  go  away  for  a  certain  time. 

" I  agree  with  you,"  replied  I ;  "it  would  be  better."  I 
said  this,  because  I  did  not  wish  his  company  ;  for  it  at  once 
struck  me  as  very  strange  that  he  should,  now  that  Major 
Stapleton  was  alive  and  promising  to  do  well,  talk  of  departure, 
when  he  refused  at  the  time  he  supposed  him  to  be  killed.  I 
was  therefore  very  glad  when  in  an  hour  or  two  afterwards  he 
took  his  leave,  and  started,  as  he  said,  for  London. 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII 

J\XY  recovery  was  rapid  :  in  less  than  a  fortnight  I  was  on  the 
sofa.  The  frigate  was  now  rigged,  and  had  taken  in  her  water 
and  stores,  and  was  reported  ready  for  sea  in  a  month,  as  we 
still  required  about  forty  men  to  make  up  our  complement.  I 
saw  a  great  deal  of  Captain  Green,  who  paid  me  a  visit  almost 
every  day,  and  once  when  our  conversation  turned  upon 
the  duel,  I  made  the  same  remark  that  I  did  when  Colonel 
Delmar  used  such  harsh  language  over  the  body  of  Major 
Stapleton.  "Yes,"  replied  Captain  Green,  "I  thought  it 
was  my  duty  to  tell  him  what  Colonel  Delmar  had  said.  He 
was  very  much  excited,  and  replied,  '  The  greatest  scoundrel, 
did  he  say  ? — then  is  the  devil  better  than  those  he  tempts ; 
however,  we  are  both  in  each  other's  power.  I  must  get 
well  first,  and  then  I  will  act.'  There  certainly  is  some 
mystery,  the  attack  was  so  unprovoked,  the  determination 
so  positive.  Have  you  any  reason  to  suppose  that  Colonel 
Delmar  is  your  enemy.  Captain  Keene,  for  certainly  he  did 

324 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

appear  to  me  to  do  all  he  could  at  the  time  of  the  duel  to 
give  your  adversary  the  advantage." 

"  I  really  have  no  cause  to  suppose  that  he  has  grounds  for 
being  my  enemy  ;  but  I  cannot  help  suspecting  that,  for  some 
reason  or  reasons  unknown,  he  is  so." 

When  Captain  Green  had  left  me,  I  tried  all  I  could  to  find 
out  why  Colonel  Delmar  should  be  inimical  to  me.  That  he 
was  the  supposed  heir  to  Miss  Delmar  I  knew ;  but  surely  her 
leaving  me  a  few  thousands  was  not  sufficient  cause  for  a  man 
to  seek  my  life.  Lord  de  Versely  had  nothing  to  leave ;  I 
could  come  to  no  conclusion  that  was  at  all  satisfactory.  I 
then  thought  whether  I  would  write  to  Lord  de  Versely,  and 
tell  him  what  had  happened  ;  but  I  decided  that  I  would  not. 
The  initials  had  been  put  in  the  papers  at  the  announcement 
of  the  duel,  and  had  he  seen  them,  he  certainly  would  have 
written  down  to  inquire  about  the  facts.  My  mother  had  so 
done,  and  I  resolved  that  I  would  answer  her  letter,  which  had 
hitherto  remained  on  the  table.  I  sent  for  my  desk,  and  when 
my  servant  brought  it  to  me,  the  bunch  of  keys  were  hanging 
in  the  Iqek.  I  thought  this  strange,  as  I  locked  my  desk 
before  I  went  out  to  meet  Major  Stapleton,  and  had  never 
sent  for  it  since  my  return.  My  servant,  however,  could  tell 
me  nothing  about  it,  except  that  he  found  it  as  he  brought  it 
to  me ;  but  after  a  little  time,  he  recollected  that  the  doctor 
had  asked  for  a  pen  and  ink  to  write  a  prescription,  and  that 
the  colonel  had  taken  the  keys  to  get  him  what  he  required. 
This  accounted  for  it,  and  nothing  more  was  said  upon  the  sub- 
ject. Of  course,  although  it  was  known,  no  notice  was  taken  of 
what  had  passed  by  the  Admiralty.  I  had  not  even  put  myself 
down  in  the  sick  report,  but  signed  my  daily  papers,  and  sent 
them  into  the  admiral's  office  as  if  nothing  had  happened. 

In  six  weeks  I  was  able  to  limp  about  a  little,  and  the  Circe 
was  at  last  reported  ready  for  sea.  My  orders  came  down, 
and  I  was  to  sail  with  the  first  fair  wind  to  join  the  squadron 
in  the  Texel  and  North  Sea.  I  had  taken  up  my  quarters  on 
board,  and  was  waiting  two  days,  while  the  wind  still  blew 
hard  from  the  eastward,  when  my  promise  to  write  to  Mr. 
Warden  occurred  to  me ;  and,  as  I  had  closed  all  my 
despatches  to  Lord  de  Versely,  the  Honourable  Miss  Delmar 
— to  whom  I  made  my  excuse  for  not  being  able  to  pay  my 
respects  before  my  departure — my  mother,  and  my  aunt 

325 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

Bridgeman,  I  resolved  that  I  would  write  him  a  long  letter 
previous  to  my  sailing.  I  did  so,  in  which  I  entered  into  the 
whole  affair  of  the  duel,  the  conduct  of  Colonel  Delmar,  and 
my  suspicions  relative  to  him  ;  stating  at  the  same  time,  that  I 
could  not  comprehend  why  he  should  have  sought  to  injure  me. 
I  finished  this  letter  late  in  the  evening,  and  the  next  morning, 
the  wind  having  come  round,  we  sailed  for  our  destination. 

Once  more  on  the  water,  all  my  thoughts  were  given  to  the 
service.  We  soon  fell  in  with  the  North  Sea  squadron,  and  the 
day  afterwards  the  Circe  was  directed  to  go  on-shore  in  com- 
pany with  the  Dryad,  and  watch  the  flotillas  of  gun-boats 
which  had  been  collecting  in  the  various  rivers  and  ports ;  to 
sink,  burn,  and  destroy  to  the  utmost  of  our  power.  This 
was  an  active  and  dangerous  service,  as  the  enemy  had  eveiy 
advantage  in  the  sands  and  shoals,  and  hardly  a  day  passed  in 
which  we  were  not  engaged  with  the  flotillas  and  batteries. 
It  was,  however,  now  fine  weather,  for  the  winter  had  set  in 
early,  and  had  passed  away,  and  for  two  months  we  continued 
in  the  service,  during  which  my  ship's  company  were  well 
trained.  One  morning  a  cutter  from  the  fleet  was*  reported 
from  the  mast-head,  and  we  expected  that  we  should  soon 
have  our  letters  from  England,  when  the  Dryad  threw  out 
the  signal  for  six  sail  of  praams  in-shore. 

The  two  frigates  made  all  sail  in  chase,  leaving  the  cutter  to 
follow  us  how  she  could.  Our  masters  were  well  acquainted 
with  the  shoals  on  the  coast,  and  we  threaded  our  way  through 
them  towards  the  enemy.  We  were  within  gun-shot,  and  had 
exchanged  broadsides  with  the  batteries,  when  the  flotillas 
gained  a  small  harbour,  which  prevented  our  making  any 
further  attempts.  The  Dryad  made  the  signal  to  haul  off; 
it  was  quite  time,  as  we  had  not  more  than  four  hours'  day- 
light, and  were  entangled  among  the  shoals.  The  breeze, 
which  had  been  fresh,  now  increased  very  rapidly,  and  there 
was  every  appearance  of  a  gale.  We  worked  out  as  fast  as 
we  could,  and  by  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening,  we  were  clear 
of  the  sands,  and  in  the  open  sea ;  but  the  gale  had  sprung 
up  so  rapidly  that  we  were  obliged  to  reduce  our  sail  to  close- 
reefed  topsails.  With  the  sands  under  our  lee,  it  was  neces- 
sary to  draw  off  as  fast  as  we  could,  and  we  therefore  carried 
a  heavy  press  of  sail  all  the  night — at  last,  the  wind  was  so 
strong  that  we  could  only  carry  close-reefed  maintopsail  and 

32*6 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

reefed  foresail,  and  with  a  heavy  sea,  which  had  risen  up,  we 
felt  that  we  were  in  extreme  danger. 

Daylight  once  more  made  its  appearance.  Our  first  object 
was  to  ascertain  the  position  of  the  Dryad.  For  a  long  time 
we  looked  in  vain;  at  last,  a  partial  clearing  up  of  the  horizon 
on  the  lee  bow  discovered  her,  looming  through  the  heavy 
atmosphere,  more  like  a  phantom  ship  than  the  work  of 
mortal  hands.  She  was  a  deep  grey  mass  upon  a  lighter  grey 
ground.  Her  topmasts  were  gone,  and  she  was  pitching  and 
rising  without  appearing  to  advance  under  her  courses  and 
storm  staysails. 

"There  she  is,  sir,"  said  Mr.  Wilson ;  "and  if  the  gale  lasts, 
good-bye  to  her." 

"  If  the  gale  lasts,  Mr.  Wilson/'  said  I,  in  a  low  voice,  "  I 
suspect  you  may  sing  our  requiem  as  well ;  but  we  must  trust 
to  Heaven  and  our  own  exertions.  Pass  along  the  lead-line, 
Mr.  Hawkins." 

"  Ay,  ay,  sir,"  replied  the  officer  of  the  watch ;  "  how 
much  out,  sir  ?  " "  Forty  fathoms." 

The  men  ranged  themselves  along  the  lee-bulwarks,  chains, 
and  gangway,  and  passed  the  deep-sea  lines  from  aft  to  the 
anchor-stock  forward.  The  deep-sea  lead  was  taken  forward, 
and  as  soon  as  it  was  bent  and  ready,  the  ship  was  thrown  up 
to  the  wind  so  as  to  check  her  way.  "  Heave,"  and  the  lead 
was  thrown,  and  as  it  descended  the  line  was  dropped  from  the 
hands  of  the  men,  one  after  another,  as  the  line  drew  aft ;  but 
when  it  came  to  the  hands  of  the  master,  who  was  on  the 
quarter,  instead  of  finding,  as  he  expected,  forty  fathoms  of 
water,  he  had  to  haul  in  the  slack  line  for  such  a  length  of 
time,  that  the  lead  was  astern  and  no  proper  soundings  'could 
be  obtained. 

One  thing  was,  however,  certain,  which  was,  that  we  were 
in  much  shallower  water  than  we  had  any  idea  of;  and  the 
master,  much  alarmed,  desired  the  quartermaster  to  go  into 
the  chains  and  see  if  he  could  get  soundings  with  the  hand- 
lead  while  the  men  were  hauling  in  the  deep-sea  line.  The 
quartermaster  was  forestalled  by  Bob  Cross,  who,  dropping 
into  the  chains,  cleared  the  line,  and  swinging  it  but  twice  or 
thrice,  for  there  was  little  or  no  way  in  the  vessel,  let  it  go. 

The  anxiety  with  which  the  descent  of  the  line  was 
watched  by  me,  the  master,  and  other  of  the  officers  who 

327 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

were  hanging  over  the  hammock  rails,  it  would  be  difficult  to 
describe.  When  sixteen  fathoms  were  out,  the  lead  sounded. 
Cross  gathered  up  the  slack  line,  and  fourteen  fathoms  and  a 
half  was  announced. 

"  Mr.  Hillyer,"  said  I,  "  oblige  me  by  coming  down  into  the 
cabin."  The  master  followed  me  immediately.  The  chart 
was  on  the  table  in  the  fore-cabin. 

"We  must  have  gone  to  leeward  dreadfully,  sir." 

"  Yes/'  replied  I ;  "  but  the  sweep  of  the  currents  in  heavy 
gales  is  so  tremendous,  and  so  uncertain  on  this  coast,  that  I 
am  not  surprised.  We  must  have  had  a  SE.  current,  and 
probably  we  are  hereabouts,"  continued  I,  putting  the  point 
of  the  compass  upon  the  spot. 

"  It  seems  hardly  possible,  sir,"  replied  the  master ;  "  but 
still  I  fear  it  must  be  so ;  and  if  so,"  continued  he,  drawing  a 
deep  sigh,  "  I'm  afraid  it's  all  over  with  us,  without  a  miracle 
in  our  favour." 

"  I  am  of  your  opinion,  Mr.  Hillyer ;  but  say  nothing  about 
it,"  replied  I;  "the  gale  may  moderate,  the  wind  may  shift, 
and  if  so,  we  may  be  saved.  At  all  events,  it's  no  use  telling  bad 
news  too  soon,  and  therefore  you'll  oblige  me  by  not  saying 
anything  on  the  subject.  A  few  hours  will  decide  our  fate." 

"  But  the  Dryad,  she  is  good  four  miles  to  the  leeward  of 
us,  and  the  soundings  decrease  here  so  rapidly,  that  in  an 
hour,  with  the  sail  she  is  under,  she  must  go  on  shore." 

"  She  has  no  chance,  that's  certain,"  replied  I.  "  I  only 
hope  it  may  be  so  thick  that  we  may  not  see  her." 

"Not  a  soul  will  be  saved,  sir,"  replied  the  master,  shuddering. 

"I  should  say  it  were  impossible,  Mr.  Hillyer;  but  we  all  owe 
Heaven  a  death ;  and  if  they  go  first  and  we  go  after  them, 
at  all  events,  let  us  do  our  duty  until  the  time  comes — but 
never  despair.  As  long  as  there  is  life,  there  is  hope  ;  so  now 
let  us  go  on  deck,  and  put  as  good  a  face  on  it  as  we  can." 


CHAPTER  XXXIX 

I  RETURNED  on  deck,  followed  by  the  master.  "The 
barometer  is  rising,"  said  I  aloud,  to  the  first  lieutenant ;  "  so 
I  presume  the  gale  will  break  about  twelve  o'clock." 

328 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

"  I  am  glad  to  hear  of  it,  sir  ;  for  we  have  quite  enough  of 
it,"  replied  the  first  lieutenant. 

"  Do  you  see  the  Diyad  ?  " 

"  No,  sir ;  it's  quite  thick  again  to  leeward  :  we  have  not 
seen  her  these  ten  minutes." 

Thank  God  for  that,  thought  I,  for  they  will  never  see  her 
again.  "  What  soundings  had  you  last  ?  " 

"  Fourteen  fathoms,  sir." 

"  I  expect  we  shall  cross  the  tail  of  the  bank  in  much  less," 
replied  I ;  "  but  when  once  clear,  we  shall  have  sea-room." 

As  the  captain  is  an  oracle  in  times  of  danger,  the  seamen 
caught  every  word  which  was  uttered  from  my  mouth ;  and 
what  they  gathered  from  what  I  had  said,  satisfied  them  that 
they  were  in  no  immediate  danger.  Nevertheless,  the  master 
walked  the  deck  as  if  he  was  stupefied  with  the  impending 
crisis.  No  wonder,  poor  fellow  !  with  a  wife  and  family  de- 
pending upon  him  for  support,  it  is  not  to  be  expected  that 
a  man  can  look  upon  immediate  dissolution  without  painful 
feelings.  A  sailor  should  never  many  ;  or  if  he  does,  for  the 
benefit  of  the  service,  his  marriage  should  prove  an  unhappy 
one,  and  then  he  would  become  more  reckless  than  before. 
As  for  my  own  thoughts,  they  may  be  given  in  a  few  words — 
they  were  upon  the  vanity  of  human  wishes.  Whatever  I 
had  done  with  the  one  object  I  had  in  view — whatever  might 
have  been  my  success  had  I  lived — whether  I  might  have 
been  wedded  to  Minnie  some  future  day,  or  what  may  have 
resulted,  good,  bad,  or  indifferent,  as  to  future,  all  was  to  be, 
in  a  few  hours,  cut  short  by  the  will  of  Heaven.  In  the 
next  world,  there  was  neither  marriage  nor  giving  in  marriage 
— in  the  next  world  name,  titles,  wealth,  everything  worldly 
was  as  nought — and  all  I  had  to  do  was  to  die  like  a  man, 
and  do  my  duty  to  the  last,  trusting  to  a  merciful  God  to 
forgive  me  my  sins  and  offences ;  and  with  this  philosophy  I 
stood  prepared  for  the  event. 

About  noon  it  again  cleared  up  to  leeward,  but  the  Dryad 
was  no  longer  to  be  seen ;  this  was  reported  to  me.  As  it 
was  nearly  three  hours  since  we  last  had  a  sight  of  her,  I 
knew  her  fate  too  well — she  had  plenty  of  time  to  go  on 
shore,  and  to  be  broken  up  by  the  heavy  seas.  I  did,  how- 
ever, point  my  glass  in  the  direction,  and  coolly  observed, 
"  She  has  rounded  the  tail  of  the  bank,  I  presume,  and  has 

329 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

bore  up.  It  was  the  best  thing  she  could  do."  I  then  asked 
the  master  if  he  had  wound  up  his  chronometers,  and  went 
down  into  the  cabin.  I  had  not,  however,  been  examining  the 
chart  more  than  a  minute,  when  the  officer  of  the  watch  came 
down,  and  reported  that  we  had  shoaled  to  twelve  fathoms. 

"  Very  good,  Mr.  Hawkins  ;  we  shall  be  in  shallower  water 
yet.  Let  me  know  if  there  is  any  change  in  the  soundings." 

As  soon  as  the  cabin-door  was  again  shut,  I  worked  up  the 
tide  to  see  when  it  would  change  against  us ;  I  found  that  it 
had  changed  one  hour  at  least.  Then  it  will  be  sooner  over, 
thought  I,  throwing  down  the  pencil. 

"  Mr.  Cross,  the  boatswain,  wishes  to  speak  to  you,  sir," 
said  the  sentry,  opening  the  cabin-door. 

"  Tell  him  to  come  in,"  replied  I.  "  Well,  Cross,  what's 
the  matter  ?  " 

"  I  was  speaking  to  the  first  lieutenant  about  getting  up  a 
runner,  sir — the  fore-stay  is  a  good  deal  chafed  ;  that  is,  if 
you  think  it's  of  any  use." 

"  How  do  you  mean  of  any  use,  Cross  ?  " 

"  Why,  sir,  although  no  one  would  suppose  it  from  you — but 
if  the  face  of  the  master  (and  he  is  not  a  faint-hearted  man 
neither)  is  to  be  taken  as  a  barometer,  we  shall  all  be  in  '  king- 
dom come '  before  long.  I've  cruised  in  these  seas  so  often, 
that  I  pretty  well  guess  where  we  are,  Captain  Keene." 

"Well,  Cross,  it's  no  use  denying  that  we  are  in  a  mess, 
and  nothing  but  the  wind  going  down  or  changing  can  get 
us  out  of  it." 

"Just  as  I  thought,  sir  ;  well,  it  can't  be  helped,  so  it's  no 
use  fretting  about  it.  I  think  myself  that  the  gale  is  breaking, 
and  that  we  shall  have  fine  weather  by  to-morrow  morning." 

"  That  will  be  rather  too  late,  Cross ;  for  I  think  we  shall 
be  done  for  in  three  or  four  hours,  if  not  sooner." 

"  Eleven  fathoms,  sir,"  said  the  officer  of  the  watch,  coming 
in  hastily. 

"  Very  well,  Mr.  Hawkins ;  let  her  go  through  the  water," 
replied  I. 

As  soon  as  the  cabin-door  was  again  shut,  I  said,  "  You  see, 
Cross,  the  tide  is  now  against  us,  and  this  will  not  last  long." 

"No,  sir,  we  shall  strike  in  five  fathoms  with  this  heavy  sea." 

"  I  know  we  shall ;  but  I  do  not  wish  to  dishearten  the  men 
before  it  is  necessary,  and  then  we  must  do  our  best." 

330 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

"  You  won't  be  offended,  I  am  sure,  by  my  asking.  Captain 
Keene,  what  you  think  of  doing  ?  " 

"  Not  at  all,  Cross  ;  it  is  my  intention  to  explain  it  to  the 
ship's  company  before  I  do  it.  I  may  as  well  take  your 
opinion  upon  it  now.  As  soon  as  we  are  in  six  fathoms,  I 
intend  to  cut  away  the  masts,  and  anchor." 

"  That's  our  only  chance,  sir,  and  if  it  is  well  done,  and  the 
gale  abates,  it  may  save  some  of  us ;  but  how  do  you  intend 
to  anchor  ?  " 

"  I  shall  back  the  best  bower  with  the  sheet,  and  let  go 
the  small  bower  at  the  same  time  that  I  do  the  sheet,  so  as 
to  ride  an  even  strain." 

"  You  can't  do  better,  sir ;  but  that  will  require  time  for 
preparation,  to  be  well  done.  Do  you  think  that  we  shall 
have  time,  if  you  wait  till  we  are  in  six  fathoms  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know  but  you  are  right.  Cross,  and  I  think  it 
would  be  better  to  commence  our  preparations  at  once." 

"  Ten  fathoms,  sir,"  reported  the  officer  of  the  watch. 

"Very  well,  I  will  be  on  deck  directly." 

"  Well,  sir,  we  must  now  go  to  our  duty ;  and  as  we  may 
chance  not  to  talk  to  one  another  again,  sir,"  said  Cross,  "  I 
can  only  say  God  bless  you  ;  and  I  hope  that  if  we  do  not  meet 
again  in  this  world,  we  shall  in  heaven,  or  as  near  to  it  as 
possible.  Good-bye,  sir." 

"  Good-bye,  Cross,"  replied  I,  shaking  his  hand  ;  "  we'll  do 
our  duty,  at  all  events.  So  now  for  my  last  dying  speech." 

Cross  quitted  the  cabin,  and  I  followed  him.  As  soon  as  I 
was  on  deck,  I  desired  the  first  lieutenant  to  turn  the  hands 
up,  and  send  them  aft.  When  they  were  all  assembled,  with 
Cross  at  their  head,  I  stood  on  one  of  the  carronades,  and 
said  :  "  My  lads,  I  have  sent  for  you,  because  I  consider 
that,  although  the  gale  is  evidently  breaking,  we  are  shoaling 
our  water  so  fast,  that  we  are  in  danger  of  going  on  shore 
before  the  gale  does  break.  Now,  what  I  intend  to  do  as 
our  best  chance,  is  to  cut  away  the  masts,  and  anchor  as  soon 
as  we  are  in  six  fathoms  water ;  perhaps  we  may  then  ride  it 
out.  At  all  events,  we  must  do  our  best,  and  put  our  trust 
in  Providence.  But,  my  lads,  you  must  be  aware  that  in 
times  of  difficulty  it  is  important  that  we  should  be  all  cool 
and  collected,  that  you  must  adhere  to  your  discipline,  and 
obey  your  officers  to  the  last ;  if  you  do  not,  everything  will 

331 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

go  wrong  instead  of  right.  You  have  proved  yourselves  an 
excellent  set  of  men,  and  I'm  sure  you  will  continue  so  to  do. 
It  is  possible  we  may  not  have  to  cut  away  our  masts,  or  to 
anchor ;  still,  we  must  make  every  preparation  in  case  it  is 
necessary,  and  I  have,  therefore,  sent  for  you,  to  explain  my 
intentions,  and  to  request  that  you  will  all  assist  me  to  the 
best  of  your  abilities  ;  and  I  feel  convinced  that  you  will,  and 
will  do  your  duty  like  British  seamen.  That's  all  I  have  to 
say,  my  lads.  Pipe  down,  Mr.  Cross." 

The  ship's  company  went  forward  in  silence.  They  per- 
ceived the  full  extent  of  the  danger.  The  first  lieutenant 
and  boatswain  employed  a  portion  in  backing  the  best  bower 
anchor  with  the  sheet ;  the  others  roved  up  the  cables  from 
the  tiers,  and  coiled  them  on  the  main-deck,  clear  for  running. 
All  hands  were  busily  employed,  and  employment  made  them 
forget  their  fears.  The  work  was  done  silently,  but  orderly 
and  steadily.  In  the  meantime  we  had  shoaled  to  eight 
fathoms,  and  it  was  now  nearly  three  o'clock  ;  but  as  it  was 
summer  time,  the  days  were  long.  Indeed,  when  the  weather 
was  fine,  there  was  little  or  no  night,  and  the  weather  was 
Avarm,  which  was  all  in  our  favour. 

When  everything  was  reported  ready,  I  went  round  to 
examine  and  ascertain  if  the  cables  would  run  clear.  Satisfied 
that  all  was  right,  I  then  picked  out  the  men,  and  appointed 
those  who  were  most  trustworthy  to  the  stations  of  import- 
ance ;  and,  having  so  done,  I  then  returned  to  the  quarter- 
deck, and  called  up  the  carpenter  and  some  of  the  topmen 
to  be  ready  with  the  axes  to  cut  away  the  masts  and  lashings 
of  the  booms  and  boats.  Just  as  these  orders  were  completed, 
the  gale  blew  fiercer  than  ever.  We  were  now  in  seven 
fathoms  water,  and  pressed  heavy  by  the  gale. 

I  stood  at  the  break  of  the  gangway,  the  first  lieutenant 
and  master  by  my  side,  and  Cross  a  little  forward,  watching 
my  eye.  The  men  in  the  chains  continued  to  give  the 
soundings  in  a  clear,  steady  voice,  "  By  the  mark,  seven," 
"  Quarter  less  seven,"  "  And  a  half  six."  At  last,  the  man 
in  the  chains  next  to  me,  a  fine  old  forecastle  man,  gave  the 
sounding  "  By  the  mark,  six,"  and  he  gave  it  with  a  louder 
voice  than  before,  with  a  sort  of  defiance,  as  much  as  to  say, 
The  time  is  come,  let  the  elements  do  their  worst. 

The  time  was  come.  "  Silence,  fore  and  aft.  Every  man 

332 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

down  under  the  half-deck,  except  those  stationed.  Cut  away 
the  boom  lashings,  and  clear  the  boats."  This  was  soon  done, 
and  reported.  "  Now  then,  my  lads,  be  steady.  Cut  away 
the  lanyards  in  the  chains." 

One  after  another  the  lanyards  and  backstays  were  severed ; 
the  rnasts  groaned  and  creaked,  and  then  the  foremast  and 
mainmast  were  over  the  side  almost  at  the  same  time ;  the 
mizen  followed,  as  the  frigate  broached  to  and  righted,  leaving 
the  ship's  deck  a  mass  of  wreck  and  confusion.  But  no  one 
was  hurt,  from  the  precautions  which  had  been  taken,the  masts 
having  been  cut  away  before  we  rounded  to  to  anchor,  as  other- 
wise they  would  have  fallen  aft,  and  not  gone  clear  of  the  ship. 

"  Stand  by  the  best  bower.  Stand  clear  of  the  cable.  Let 
go  the  anchor." 

As  soon  as  the  best  bower  cable  was  nearly  out,  the  sheet 
anchor  and  small  bower  were  let  go  at  the  same  moment,  and 
the  result  was  to  be  ascertained. 


CHAPTER  XL 

A  HE  frigate  was  head  to  wind,  rising  and  pitching  with  the 
heavy  sea,  but  not  yet  feeling  the  strain  of  the  cables :  the 
masts  lay  rolling  and  beating  alongside. 

The  ship's  company  had  most  of  them  returned  on  deck, 
to  view  their  impending  fate,  and  the  carpenters,  who  had 
already  received  their  orders,  were  battening  down  the 
hatchways  on  the  main-deck.  In  a  minute  the  frigate  rode  to 
her  anchors,  and  as  soon  as  the  strain  was  on  the  cables,  she 
dipped,  and  a  tremendous  sea  broke  over  her  bows,  deluging 
us  fore  and  aft,  nearly  filling  the  main-deck,  and  washing  the 
carpenters  away  from  their  half-completed  work.  A  second 
and  a  third  followed,  rolling  aft,  so  as  to  almost  bury  the 
vessel,  sweeping  away  the  men,  who  clung  to  the  cordage 
and  guns,  and  carrying  many  of  them  overboard. 

I  had  quitted  the  gangway  where  there  was  no  hold,  and 
had  repaired  to  the  main  bitts,  behind  the  stump  of  the  main- 
mast. Even  in  this  position  I  should  not  have  been  able  to 
hold  on,  if  it  had  not  been  for  Bob  Cross,  who  was  near  me, 
and  who  passed  a  rope  round  my  body  as  I  was  sweeping 

333 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

away ;  but  the  booms  and  boats  which  had  been  cut  adrift,  in 
case  of  the  ship  driving  on  shore  broadside,  were  driven  aft 
with  the  last  tremendous  sea,  and  many  men  on  the  quarter- 
deck were  crushed  and  mangled. 

After  the  third  sea  had  swept  over  us,  there  was  a  pause, 
and  Cross  said  to  me,  "We  had  better  go  down  on  the  main- 
deck,  Captain  Keene,  and  get  the  half-ports  open  if  possible." 
We  did  so,  and  with  great  difficulty  found  the  people  to 
help  us ;  for,  as  it  may  be  imagined,  the  confusion  was  now 
very  great;  but  the  carpenters  were  again  collected,  and  the 
half-ports  got  out,  and  then  the  battening  down  was  com- 
pleted ;  for,  although  she  continued  to  ship  seas  fore  and  aft, 
they  were  not  so  heavy  as  the  first  three,  which  had  so  nearly 
swamped  her. 

I  again  went  on  deck,  followed  by  Cross,  who  would  not 
leave  me.  Most  of" the  men  had  lashed  themselves  to  the  guns 
and  belaying  pins,  but  I  looked  in  vain  for  the  first  lieutenant 
and  master ;  they  were  standing  at  the  gangway  at  the  time 
of  the  first  sea  breaking  over  us,  and  it  is  to  be  presumed 
that  they  were  washed  overboard,  for  I  never  saw  them  again. 

We  had  hardly  been  on  deck,  and  taken  our  old  position  at 
the  bitts,  when  the  heavy  seas  again  poured  over  us ;  but  the 
booms  having  been  cleared,  and  the  ports  on  the  main-deck 
open,  they  did  not  sweep  us  with  the  same  force  as  before. 

"She  cannot  stand  this  long,"  said  I,  as  we  clung  to  the  bitts. 

"  No,  sir,  the  cables  must  part  with  such  a  heavy  strain ;  or 
if  they  do  not,  we  shall  drag  our  anchors  till  we  strike  on  the 
sands." 

"  And  then  we  shall  go  to  pieces  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir ;  but  do  not  forget  to  get  to  the  wreck  of  the 
masts,  if  you  possibly  can.  The  best  chance  will  be  there." 

"Bad's  the  best,  Cross;  however,  that  was  my  intention." 

The  reader  will  be  surprised  at  my  having  no  conversation 
with  any  other  party  but  Cross  ;  but  the  fact  was,  that 
although  it  was  only  occasionally  that  a  heavy  sea  poured 
over  us,  we  were  blinded  by  the  continual  spray  in  which  the 
frigate  was  enveloped,  and  which  prevented  us  not  only  from 
seeing  our  own  position,  but  even  a  few  feet  from  us ;  and, 
as  any  one  who  had  not  a  firm  hold,  when  the  seas  poured 
over  the  deck,  was  almost  certain  to  be  washed  overboard, 
every  man  clung  to  where  he  was ;  indeed,  there  were  not 

334 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

fifty  men  on  deck  ;  for  those  who  had  not  been  washed  over- 
board by  the  first  seas,  had  hastened  to  get  under  the  half- 
deck  ;  and  many  had  been  washed  overboard  in  the  attempt. 

The  most  painful  part  was  to  hear  the  groaning  and  cries 
for  help  of  the  poor  fellows  who  lay  jammed  under  the  heavy 
spars  and  boats  which  had  been  washed  aft,  and  to  whom  it 
was  impossible  to  afford  any  relief  without  the  assistance  of  a 
large  body  of  men.  But  all  I  have  described  since  the  anchors 
were  let  go  occurred  in  a  few  minutes. 

On  a  sudden,  the  frigate  heeled  over  to  starboard,  and  at 
the  same  time  a  sea  broke  over  her  chestree,  which  nearly 
drowned  us  where  we  were  clinging.  As  soon  as  the  pouring 
off  of  the  water  enabled  us  to  recover  our  speech,  "  She  has 
parted,  Cross,  and  all  is  over  with  us,"  said  I. 

"  Yes,  sir ;  as  soon  as  she  strikes,  she  will  break  up  in  ten 
minutes.  We  must  not  stay  here,  as  she  will  part  amidships." 

I  felt  the  truth  of  the  observation,  and  waiting  until  a 
heavy  sea  had  passed  over  us,  contrived  to  gain  the  after 
ladder,  and  descend.  As  soon  as  we  were  on  the  main-deck, 
we  crawled  to  the  cabin,  and  seated  ourselves  by  the  after- 
gun,  Cross  having  made  a  hold  on  to  a  ring-bolt  for  us  with 
his  silk  handkerchief. 

There  were  many  men  in  the  cabin,  silently  waiting  their 
doom.  They  knew  that  all  was  over,  that  nothing  could  be 
done  ;  yet  they  still  contrived  to  touch  their  hats  respectfully 
to  me  as  I  passed. 

"  My  lads,"  said  I,  as  soon  as  I  had  secured  my  hold,  "  the 
cables  have  parted,  and  the  ship  will  strike,  and  go  to  pieces 
in  a  very  short  time  ;  recollect  that  the  masts  to  leeward  are 
your  best  chance." 

Those  who  were  near  me  said,  "Thank  you,  Captain 
Keene ; "  but  the  words  were  scarcely  out  of  their  mouths, 
when  a  shock  passed  through  the  whole  vessel,  and  com- 
municated itself  to  our  very  hearts.  The  ship  had  struck  on 
the  sand,  and  the  beams  and  timbers  had  not  ceased  trem- 
bling and  groaning,  when  a  sea  struck  her  larboard  broadside, 
throwing  her  over  on  her  beam-ends,  so  that  the  starboard 
side  of  the  main-deck  and  the  guns  were  under  water. 

It  would  be  impossible  after  this  to  detail  what  occurred 
in  a  clear  and  correct  manner,  as  the  noise  and  confusion 
were  so  terrible.  At  every  sea  hurled  against  the  sides  of 

335 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

the  vessel,  the  resistance  to  them  became  less.  What  with 
the  crashing  of  the  beams,  the  breaking  up  of  the  tim- 
bers, and  the  guns  to  windward,  as  their  fastenings  gave 
way,  tumbling  with  a  tremendous  crash  to  leeward,  and 
passing  through  the  ship's  sides,  the  occasional  screams 
mixed  with  the  other  noise,  the  pouring,  dashing,  and  wash- 
ing of  the  waters,  the  scene  was  appalling.  At  last,  one 
louder  crash  than  any  of  the  former  announced  that  the 
vessel  had  yielded  to  the  terrific  force  of  the  waves,  and  had 
parted  amidships.  After  this  there  was  little  defence  against 
them,  even  where  we  were  clinging,  for  the  waters  poured 
in,  as  if  maddened  by  their  success,  through  the  passage 
formed  by  the  separation  of  the  vessel,  and  came  bounding 
on,  as  if  changing  their  direction  on  purpose  to  overwhelm 
us.  As  the  two  parts  of  the  vessel  were  thrown  higher  up, 
the  shocks  were  more  severe,  and  indeed  the  waves  appeared 
to  have  more  power  than  before,  in  consequence  of  their 
being  so  increased  in  weight  from  the  quantity  of  sand  which 
was  mixed  up  with  them.  Another  crash !  the  sides  of 
the  after-part  of  the  vessel  had  given  way,  and  the  heavy 
guns,  disengaged,  flew  to  leeward,  and  we  found  ourselves 
without  shelter  from  the  raging  waters. 

The  part  of  the  wreck  on  which  Cross  and  I  were  sitting 
was  so  completely  on  its  beam-ends,  that  the  deck  was 
within  a  trifle  of  being  perpendicular.  To  walk  was  im- 
possible :  all  that  we  could  do  was  to  slide  down  into  the 
water  to  leeward ;  but  little  was  to  be  gained  by  that,  as 
there  was  no  egress.  We  therefore  remained  for  more  than 
an  hour  in  the  same  position,  wearied  with  clinging,  and  the 
continual  suffocation  we  received  from  the  waves,  as  they 
deluged  us.  We  perceived  that  the  wreck  was  gradually 
settling  down  deeper  and  deeper  in  the  sand ;  it  was  more 
steady  in  consequence,  but  at  the  same  time  the  waves 
had  more  power  over  the  upper  part.  And  so  it  proved  ;  for 
one  enormous  sea  came  in,  blowing  up  the  quarter-deck  over 
our  heads,  tearing  away  the  planking  and  timbers,  and 
hurling  them  to  leeward.  This,  at  all  events,  set  us  free, 
although  it  exposed  us  more  than  before ;  we  could  now  see 
about  us,  that  is,  we  could  see  to  leeward,  and  Cross  pointed 
out  to  me  the  mainmast  tossing  about  in  the  boiling 
water,  with  the  maintop  now  buried,  and  now  rising  out 

336 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

clear.  I  nodded  my  head  in  assent.  He  made  a  sign  to  say 
that  he  would  go  first  after  the  next  wave  had  passed  over  us. 

I  found  myself  alone,  and  as  soon  as  I  had  cleared  my 
eyes  of  the  salt-water,  I  perceived  Cross  in  the  surge  to 
leeward,  making  for  the  floating  mast.  He  gained  it,  and 
waved  his  hand.  I  immediately  followed  him,  and,  after  a 
short  buffet,  gained  a  place  by  his  side,  just  behind  the 
maintop,  which  afforded  us  considerable  shelter  from  the 
seas.  Indeed,  as  the  main-mast  was  in  a  manner  anchored 
by  the  lee  rigging  to  the  wreck  of  the  vessel,  the  latter 
served  as  a  breakwater,  and  the  sea  was,  therefore,  com- 
paratively smooth,  and  I  found  my  position  infinitely  more 
agreeable  than  when  I  was  clinging  on  the  wreck.  I  could 
now  breathe  freely,  as  it  was  seldom  I  was  wholly  underwater; 
neither  was  it  necessary,  as  before,  to  cling  for  your  life. 

On  looking  round  me,  I  found  that  about  twenty  men 
were  hanging  on  to  the  mast.  Many  of  them  appeared  quite 
exhausted,  and  had  not  strength  left  to  obtain  a  more 
favourable  berth.  The  position  taken  by  Cross  and  myself 
was  very  secure,  being  between  the  maintop  and  the  cat- 
harpings,  and  the  water  was  so  warm  that  we  did  not  feel 
the  occasional  immersion :  five  other  men  were  close  to  us, 
but  not  a  word  was  said, — indeed,  hardly  a  recognition 
exchanged.  At  that  time  we  thought  only  of  immediate 
preservation,  and  had  little  feeling  for  anybody  else. 


CHAPTER  XLI 

J_  HE  night  was  now  coming  on  ;  the  rolling  waves  changed 
from  the  yellow  tinge  given  by  the  sand  to  green,  and  then 
to  purple ;  at  last  all  was  black  except  the  white  foaming 
breakers. 

Exhausted  by  fatigue,  it  had  not  been  dark  more  than  two 
hours,  when  I  felt  an  irresistible  desire  to  sleep,  and  I  have 
no  doubt  that  I  did  slumber  in  this  position,  half  in  and  half 
out  of  the  water,  for  some  time  ;  for  when  I  was  roused  up 
by  losing  my  balance,  I  looked  above  and  perceived  that  the 
sky  was  clear,  and  the  stars  shining  brightly.  I  then  looked 
around  me,  and  it  was  evident  that  the  water  was  not  so 

337  y 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

agitated  as  it  had  been ;  the  wind  too  had  subsided ;  its 
roaring  had  ceased,  although  it  still  whistled  strong. 

"  Cross  !  "  said  I. 

"  Here  I  am,  Captain  Keene,  close  under  your  lee." 

<e  The  gale  is  broke ;  we  shall  have  fair  weather  before 
the  morning." 

"  Yes,  sir  ;  I  have  thought  so  some  time." 

"  Thank  God  for  His  mercy  ;  we  must  trust  that  He  will 
not  leave  us  here  to  perish  miserably." 

"  No,  I  hope  not,"  replied  Cross ;  "  let  us  trust  in  Him  ; 
but  I  confess  I  see  but  little  chance." 

"  So  have  many  others,  yet  they  have  been  saved,  Cross," 
replied  I. 

"Very  true,  sir,"  replied  he ;  "I  wish  it  was  daylight." 

We  had,  however,  three  or  four  hours  to  wait ;  but  during 
that  time  the  wind  gradually  subsided,  and  then  went  down 
to  a  light  and  fitful  breeze.  At  dawn  of  day  the  mast  rose 
and  fell  with  the  swell  of  the  sea,  which  still  heaved  after 
the  late  commotion,  but  without  any  run  in  any  particular 
direction,  for  it  was  now  calm.  I  had  been  sitting  on  the 
mast  with  my  back  against  the  futtock-shrouds  ;  I  now  rose 
up  with  difficulty,  for  I  was  sorely  bruised,  and  stood  upon 
the  mast  clear  from  the  water,  to  look  around  me.  About 
thirty  yards  from  us  was  the  wreck  of  the  foremast,  with 
many  men  clinging  to  it.  The  jnizen-mast  had  broken 
adrift.  The  fore  part  of  the  frigate  was  several  feet  above 
water,  and  the  bowsprit  steeved  in  the  air ;  of  the  after  part 
there  were  but  three  or  four  broken  timbers  to  be  seen 
clear  of  the  water,  so  deep  had  it  been  buried  in  the  sand. 

Cross  had  risen  on  his  feet,  and  was  standing  by  me,  when 
we  were  hailed  from  the  wreck  of  the  fore-mast,  "  Main-mast, 
ahoy !  " 

"  Halloo  !  "  replied  Cross. 

"  Have  you  got  the  captain  on  board  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  replied  Bob ;  "  all  alive  and  hearty  ! "  A  faint 
huzzah,  which  was  the  return,  affected  me  sensibly.  That 
my  men  should  think  of  me  when  in  such  a  position  was 
soothing  to  my  feelings  ;  but  as  I  looked  at  them  on  the  other 
mast  and  those  around  me,  and  calculated  that  there  could 
not  be  more  than  forty  men  left  out  of  such  a  noble  ship's 
company,  I  could  have  wept.  But  it  was  time  for  action: 

338 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

"  Cross/'  said  I,  "  now  that  it  is  calm,  I  think  that  we  shall 
be  better  on  the  fore  part  of  the  frigate  than  here,  half  in 
and  half  out  of  water.  The  forecastle  is  still  remaining,  and 
the  weather  bulwarks  will  shelter  the  men  ;  besides,  if  any 
vessels  should  come  in  sight,  we  should  more  easily  be  able 
to  make  signals,  and  to  attract  their  attention." 

"Very  true,  sir,"  replied  Cross;  "and  as  there  are  many 
men  here  who  cannot  hold  on  much  longer,  we  must  try  if 
we  cannot  haul  them  on  board.  Do  you  feel  strong  enough 
to  swim  to  the  wreck  ?  " "  Yes,  quite,  Cross." 

"Then  we'll  start  together,  sir,  and  see  how  matters  are." 

I  dropped  into  the  sea,  followed  by  Cross ;  and  as  the 
distance  from  us  was  not  forty  yards,  we  soon  gained  the 
wreck  of  the  fore  part  of  the  frigate.  The  lee  gunnel  was 
just  above  the  water ;  we  clambered  over  it,  and  found  the 
deck  still  whole ;  the  weather  portion  as  white  as  snow,  and 
quite  dry.  We  gained  the  weather  bulwarks,  and  looked  in 
the  offing  in  case  there  should  be  any  vessel,  but  we  could 
see  nothing. 

"Now,  sir,  we  had  better  hail,  and  tell  all  those  who  can 
swim  to  come  to  us." 

We  did  so,  and  six  men  from  the  main-mast  and  nine  from 
the  fore-mast  soon  joined  us. 

"  Now,  my  lads,"  said  I,  "  we  must  look  after  those  who 
cannot  get  here,  and  try  and  save  them.  Get  all  the  ends  of 
ropes  from  the  belaying  pins,  bend  them  on  one  to  another, 
and  then  we  will  return  and  make  the  men  fast,  and  you 
shall  haul  them  on  board." 

This  was  soon  done ;  Cross  and  I  took  the  end  in  our 
hands,  and  swam  back  to  the  main-mast.  One  of  the  top- 
men,  with  a  broken  arm,  was  the  first  that  was  made  fast, 
and  when  the  signal  was  given,  hauled  through  the  water 
to  the  wreck ;  six  or  seven  more  followed  in  succession. 
Two  men  swam  back  every  time  with  the  rope,  and  accom- 
panied those  who  were  hauled  on  board,  that  they  might 
not  sink.  There  were  many  more  hanging  to  different  parts 
of  the  main-rnast,  but  on  examination  they  were  found  to  be 
quite  dead.  We  sent  on  board  all  that  showed  any  symptoms 
of  life,  and  then  we  swam  to  the  fore-mast,  and  assisted  those 
who  were  hanging  to  it.  In  about  two  hours  our  task  was 
completed,  and  we  mustered  twenty-six  on  the  wreck. 

339 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

We  were  glad  to  shelter  ourselves  under  the  bulwark, 
where  we  all  lay  huddled  up  together;  before  noon,  most  of 
the  poor  fellows  had  forgotten  their  sufferings  in  a  sound 
sleep.  Cross,  I,  and  the  man  with  the  broken  arm,  were  the 
only  three  awake  ;  the  latter  was  in  too  much  pain  to  find 
repose,  and,  moreover,  suffered  from  extreme  thirst. 

A  breeze  now  sprang  up  from  the  southward,  which 
cheered  our  spirits,  as  without  wind  there  was  little  chance 
of  receiving  any  assistance.  Night  again  came  on,  and  the 
men  still  slept.  Cross  and  I  lay  down,  and  were  glad  to 
follow  their  example:  the  night  was  cold,  and  when  we  lay 
down  we  did  not  feel  much  from  hunger  or  thirst ;  but  when 
the  morning  dawned,  we  woke  in  suffering,  not  from  hunger, 
but  from  thirst.  Everybody  cried  out  for  water.  I  told  the 
men  that  talking  would  only  make  them  feel  it  more,  and 
advised  them  to  put  their  shirt-sleeves  in  their  mouths,  and 
suck  them,  and  then  I  climbed  upon  the  bulwarks  to  see  if 
there  was  anything  in  sight.  I  knew  that  the  greatest 
chance  was  that  the  cutter  would  be  looking  after  us ;  but, 
at  the  same  time,  it  was  not  very  likely  that  she  would  come 
so  near  to  the  sands. 

I  had  been  an  hour  on  the  gunnel,  when  Cross  came  up  to 
me.  "  It's  banking  up,  sir,  to  the  southward  :  I  hope  we  are 
not  going  to  have  any  more  bad  weather." 

"  I  have  no  fear  of  a  gale,  although  we  may  have  thick 
weather,"  replied  I ;  "  that  would  be  almost  as  bad  for  us, 
as  we  should  perish  on  the  wreck  before  we  are  discovered." 

"  I  am  going  to  lower  myself  down  into  the  galley,  Captain 
Keene,  to  see  if  I  can  find  anything." 

"  I  fear  you  will  not  be  successful,"  replied  I,  "  for  the 
coppers  and  ranges  are  all  carried  away." 

"  I  know  that,  sir ;  but  I  have  been  thinking  of  the  cook's 
closet  we  had  built  up  above  the  bowsprit.  I  know  that  he 
used  to  stow  away  many  things  there,  and  perhaps  there 
may  be  something.  I  believe  the  shortest  way  will  be  to  go 
to  leeward,  and  swim  round  to  it." 

Cross  then  left  me,  and  I  continued  to  look  out.  About 
an  hour  afterwards  he  returned,  and  told  me  that  he  had 
easily  opened  it  with  his  knife,  and  had  found  eight  or  nine 
pounds  of  raw  potatoes,  and  a  bucketful  of  slush.  "  We  are 
not  hungry  enough  to  eat  this  now,  sir;  but  there  is  enough 

340 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

to  keep  the  life  in  us  all  for  three  or  four  days  at  least ; 
that  is,  if  we  could  get  water,  and  I  expect  we  shall  feel  the 
want  of  that  dreadfully  in  a  short  time.  I  would  give  a 
great  deal  if  I  could  only  find  a  drop  to  give  that  poor  fellow 
Anderson,  with  his  broken  arm ;  it  is  terribly  swelled,  and  he 
must  suffer  very  much." 

"  Did  you  find  anything  in  the  closet  to  put  water  into, 
Cross,  in  case  we  should  get  any  ?  " 

"Yes;  there's  two  or  three  kids,  and  some  small  breakers, 
Captain  Keene." 

"  Well,  then,  you  had  better  get  them  ready ;  for  those 
clouds  rise  so  fast,  that  we  may  have  rain  before  morning, 
and  if  so,  we  must  not  lose  the  chance." 

"  Why,  it  does  look  like  rain,  sir,"  replied  Cross.  "  I'll  take 
one  or  two  of  the  men  with  me,  to  assist  in  getting  them  up." 

I  watched  the  horizon  till  night  again  set  in.  We  were 
all  very  faint  and  distressed  for  water,  and  the  cool  of  the 
evening  somewhat  relieved  us  ;  the  breeze,  too,  was  fresh. 
The  men  had  remained  quietly  in  the  shade  as  I  had  advised 
them ;  but,  although  patient,  they  evidently  suffered  much. 
Once  more  we  all  attempted  to  forget  ourselves  in  repose. 
I  was  soundly  asleep,  when  I  was  woke  up  by  Cross. 

"Captain  Keene,  it  is  raining,  and  it  will  soon  rain  much 
harder;  now,  if  you  will  order  the  men,  they  will  soon 
collect  water  enough." 

"  Call  them  up  immediately,  Cross ;  we  must  not  lose  this 
providential  succour.  It  may  save  all  our  lives." 

The  men  were  soon  on  the  alert ;  the  rain  came  down  in 
a  steady  shower :  and  as  soon  as  they  were  wet  through, 
they  took  off  their  shirts,  and  dabbling  them  into  the  water 
as  it  ran  down  to  leeward,  squeezed  it  out  into  their  mouths, 
until  their  wants  were  satisfied,  and  then,  under  the  direc- 
tion of  Cross,  commenced  filling  the  three  breakers  and  four 
tubs  which  had  been  brought  up.  They  had  time  to  fill 
them,  and  to  spare,  for  the  rain  continued  till  the  morning. 
The  tubs  and  breakers  were  securely  slung  under  the  fore- 
bitts  for  future  use,  and  they  then  continued  to  drink  till 
they  could  drink  no  more. 


3*1 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 


CHAPTER  XLII 

I  HE  sun  rose  and  chased  away  the  clouds,  and  the  heat 
was  overpowering.  What  would  have  been  our  situation  if  it 
had  not  pleased  Heaven  to  refresh  us  ? 

The  consequence  of  their  thirst  being  appeased  made  the 
demand  for  food  imperative,  and  a  raw  potato  was  given  to 
each  man.  The  day  passed,  and  so  did  a  third  and  fourth, 
and  our  hopes  began  to  fail  us,  when  at  daylight  the  next 
morning  I  spied  a  sail  to  the  westward.  The  breeze  was 
light,  but  the  vessel  was  evidently  coming  down  towards  us, 
and  before  noon  we  made  it  out  to  be  the  cutter. 

We  then  sat  on  the  bulwarks,  and  held  out  a  white  shirt, 
as  a  signal  to  attract  their  attention.  When  about  three 
miles  from  us,  the  cutter  rounded  to,  not  appearing  to  notice 
us,  and  for  two  hours  we  were  left  in  this  state  of  maddening 
anxiety  and  suspense,  when  at  last  we  perceived  her  bows 
pay  off,  and  she  again  stood  towards  us.  They  had  at  last 
seen  us,  and  as  soon  as  they  had  run  down  to  within  three 
cables'  length,  the  boat  was  lowered  and  sent  to  take  us  off. 
In  three  trips  we  were  all  on  board,  and  devoutly  thanked 
Heaven  for  our  preservation. 

The  lieutenant  of  the  cutter  said  that  at  first  the  sun 
prevented  his  seeing  us,  which  I  believe  was  the  fact ;  bnt  he 
acknowledged  that  he  had  no  idea  that  we  had  been  wrecked, 
although  he  thought  that  the  Dryad  was,  as  he  had  seen  a 
mast  floating,  and  sending  a  boat  to  look  at  it,  found  her 
name  on  the  cross-trees.  We  were,  however,  too  much 
exhausted  to  enter  into  much  conversation.  As  soon  as  we 
had  been  supplied  with  food,  we  were  all  put  to  bed  in  their 
hammocks ;  the  first  lieutenant  resigned  his  standing  bed- 
place  to  me.  A  long  sleep  recovered  me,  and  I  felt  little  the 
worse  for  what  I  had  suffered,  and  sat  down  to  a  breakfast  at 
noon  on  the  following  day  with  a  good  appetite.  The  cutter 
had,  by  my  directions,  shaped  a  course  for  the  island  of  Heli- 
goland, where  we  should  find  means  of  returning  to  England. 

"  I  have  letters  for  you,  Captain  Keene,"  said  the  lieutenant, 
"  if  you  are  well  enough  to  read  them." 

342 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

"  Thank  you,  Mr.  D ;  I  am  now  quite  well,  and  will 

be  happy  to  have  them." 

The  lieutenant  brought  me  a  large  packet,  and  I  took  a 
position  on  the  sofa  to  read  them  comfortably  while  he  went 
on  deck.  I  first  opened  those  on  service — those,  of  course, 
had  little  interest  for  me,  now  that  I  had  lost  my  ship — I 
skimmed  them  over,  and  then  threw  them  on  the  table 
one  after  another.  There  were  three  private  letters  from 
England,  one  of  which  was  in  Lord  de  Versely's  handwriting; 
I  opened  it  first.  It  was  very  kind,  but  short,  complaining 
that  he  had  not  been  very  well  lately.  The  second  was 
from  my  mother.  I  read  it :  it  contained  nothing  of  import- 
ance ;  and  then  I  took  up  the  third,  which  had  a  black  seal. 
I  opened  it ;  it  was  from  Mr.  Warden,  acquainting  me  that 
Lord  de  Versely  had  expired  very  suddenly,  on  his  return 
from  the  House  of  Lords,  of  an  ossification  of  the  heart. 

In  my  weak  state  this  blow  was  too  much  for  me,  and  I 
fainted.  How  long  I  remained  in  that  state  I  cannot  say ; 
but  when  I  came  to  my  senses,  I  found  myself  still  down 
in  the  cabin.  I  rallied  as  well  as  I  could  ;  but  it  was  some 
time  before  I  could  take  up  the  letter  again  and  finish  it. 
He  stated  that  his  lordship  had  left  me  all  his  personal 
property,  which  was  all  that  he  could  leave  ;  that  the  library 
and  wines  were  of  some  value,  and  that  there  would  be  about 
a  thousand  pounds  left  at  the  banker's,  when  the  funeral 
expenses  and  debts  had  been  paid.  "Oh  !  if  he  could  but 
have  left  me  his  family  name ! "  cried  I ;  "it  was  all  I 
coveted.  My  father !  my  kind  father !  I  may  really  say, 
who  will  lament  your  loss  as  I  do  ?  "  I  threw  myself  on  the 
pillow  of  the  sofa,  and  for  a  long  while  shed  bitter  tears,  not 
unmixed,  I  must  own  ;  for  my  grief  at  his  death  was  increased 
by  my  disappointment  in  having  for  ever  lost  the  great  object 
of  my  wishes. 

The  lieutenant  of  the  cutter  came  down  into  the  cabin, 
and  I  was  compelled  to  hide  my  emotion.  I  complained  of 
headache  and  weakness,  and  collecting  the  letters,  I  again 
lay  down  in  the  standing  bed-place,  and  drawing  the  curtains, 
I  was  left  to  my  own  reflections.  But  there  was  a  sad  tumult 
in  my  mind.  I  could  not  keep  my  ideas  upon  one  subject 
for  a  moment.  I  was  feverish  and  excited,  and  at  last  my 
head  was  so  painful  that  I  could  think  no  more.  Fortunately, 

343 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

exhaustion  threw  me  again  into  a  sound  sleep,  and  I  did 
not  wake  till  the  next  morning.  When  I  did,  I  had  to 
recollect  where  I  was,  and  what  had  happened.  I  knew 
that  there  was  something  dreadful  which  had  occurred. 
Again  it  flashed  into  my  memory.  Lord  de  Versely  was 
dead.  I  groaned,  and  fell  back  on  the  pillow. 

"  Are  you  very  ill,  Captain  Keene  ?  "  said  a  voice  close  to 
me.  I  opened  the  curtains,  and  perceived  that  it  was  Cross 
who  was  standing  by  my  bedside. 

"I  am  indeed,  Cross,  very  ill;  I  have  very  bad  news. 
Lord  de  Versely  is  dead." 

"That  is  bad  news,  sir,"  replied  Cross — "very  bad  news, 
worse  than  losing  the  frigate.  But,  Captain  Keene,  we  must 
have  our  ups  and  downs  in  this  world.  You  have  had  a  long 
run  of  good  fortune,  and  you  must  not  be  surprised  at  a 
change.  It  is  hard  to  lose  your  frigate  and  your  father  at 
the  same  time ;  but  you  have  not  lost  your  life,  which  is  a 
great  mercy  to  be  thankful  for." 

I  turned  away,  for  my  heart  was  full  of  bitterness.  Cross, 
perceiving  my  mood,  left  me,  and  I  remained  in  a  state  of 
sullen  indifference,  never  rising  from  the  bed-place  during 
the  remainder  of  the  time  that  I  was  on  board. 

On  the  second  day  we  arrived  at  Heligoland,  and  I  was 
requested  by  the  governor  to  take  up  my  quarters  with  him, 
until  an  opportunity  occurred  for  my  return  to  England.  My 
spirits  were,  however,  so  much  weighed  down  that  I  could 
not  rally.  I  brooded  over  my  misfortunes,  and  I  thought 
that  the  time  was  now  come  when  I  was  to  meet  a  reverse  of 
the  prosperity  which  I  had  so  long  enjoyed. 

The  sudden  death  of  Lord  de  Versely,  at  the  age  of  fifty- 
six,  left  me  without  a  patron,  and  had  destroyed  all  my  hopes 
centred  in  him.  The  object  of  my  ambition  was,  I  considered, 
for  ever  lost  to  me.  There  was  now  no  chance  of  my  being 
acknowledged  as  a  member  of  his  family.  Then  the  loss  of 
so  fine  a  frigate,  and  such  a  noble  ship's  company.  That  I 
should  be  honourably  acquitted  by  a  court-martial  I  had  not 
a  doubt ;  but  I  had  no  chance  of  future  employment ;  for, 
now  that  Lord  de  Versely  was  dead,  I  had  no  one  to  support 
my  claims.  My  prospects,  therefore,  in  the  service  were  all 
gone,  as  well  as  the  visions  I  had  indulged  in.  I  dwelt  with 
some  pleasure  upon  the  idea  that  Lord  de  Versely  had  left 

314 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

me  his  personal  property — it  proved  his  regard  ;  but  I  wanted 
his  family  name,  and  I  preferred  that  to  thousands  per  annum. 
The  second  day  after  our  arrival,  Cross  called,  and  was 
admitted.  He  found  me  in  bad  spirits,  and  tried  all  he  could 
to  rouse  me.  At  last  he  said,  "  As  for  the  loss  of  the  frigate, 
Captain  Keene,  no  human  endeavour  could  have  saved  her, 
and  no  one  could  have  done  his  duty  better  than  you  did,  as 
the  court-martial  will  prove ;  but,  sir,  I  think  it  would  be 
proper  just  now  to  show  that  your  zeal  for  the  service  is  as 
strong  as  ever." 

"  And  how  am  I  to  do  that,  Cross  ?  " 

"  Why,  sir,  you  know  as  well  as  we  all  do  how  the  French- 
men are  going  to  the  wall ;  that  they  have  been  thrashed 
out  of  Russia,  and  that  they  are  retreating  everywhere.  They 
say  that  they  have  left  Hamburg ;  and  I  understand  that  the 
gun-brigs  here  are  going  on  an  expedition  from  this  island, 
either  to-morrow  or  next  day,  to  storm  the  batteries  of  Cux- 
haven,  and  so  create  a  diversion,  as  they  call  it — and  very 
good  diversion  it  is — licking  those  French  rascals.  Now, 
Captain  Keene,  if  I  may  take  the  liberty  of  saying  so,  would 
it  not  be  as  well  to  take  as  many  of  your  men  as  are  able  to 
go  and  join  the  storming  party?  Much  better  than  sitting 
here  all  day,  melancholy." 

"  It's  the  first  I've  heard  of  it ;  are  you  sure  you  are 
correct  ?  " 

"  How  should  you  hear  it,  sir,  shut  up  here,  and  seeing 
nobody  ?  It's  true  enough,  sir  ;  they  were  telling  off  the  men 
as  I  came  up,  and  I  think  they  start  at  daylight  to-morrow." 

"Well,  Cross,  I  will  think  of  it,  and  let  you  know  my 
decision  if  you  call  here  in  half-an-hour." 

Cross  left  me,  and  I  was  still  undecided  when  the  governor 
called  to  pay  me  a  visit.  After  the  first  exchange  of  civilities, 
I  asked  him  if  the  report  was  true  that  there  was  an  expedi- 
tion about  to  proceed  to  Cuxhaven.  His  reply  was,  that  the 
Russians  had  entered  Hamburg,  which  the  French  had 
evacuated  on  the  llth,  and  that  the  French  garrisons  at 
Cuxhaven  were  reported  to  be  in  a  very  distressed  state,  and, 
in  consequence,  the  Blazer  and  another  gun-brig  were  about 
to  proceed  to  attack  the  forts. 

Hamburg !  thought  I ;  why,  Minnie  Vanderwelt  is  at 
Hamburg  with  her  father.  I  will  go  and  try  if  I  cannot  get 

345 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

to  Hamburg.  The  remembrance  of  Minnie  gave  a  spur  to 
my  energies,  and  created  a  new  stimulus.  I  then  told  the 
governor  that  I  had  a  few  men  doing  nothing ;  that  I  would 
join  them  to  the  expedition,  and  serve  as  a  volunteer.  The 
governor  thanked  me  for  my  zeal,  and  I  left  him  to  go  down 
and  communicate  my  intentions  to  the  commanding  officer  of 
the  gun-brig,  who  expressed  himself  most  happy  at  my  assist- 
ance and  co-operation. 


CHAPTER  XLIII 

neither  my  men  nor  I  had  any  luggage  to  hamper  us — 
for  we  had  just  the  clothes  we  stood  in— we  were  not  long 
getting  ready.  We  started  next  morning,  and  on  entering 
the  river,  found  that  the  French  had  destroyed  their  flotilla, 
and  soon  afterwards  we  were  invited  by  the  people  to  come 
on  shore  and  take  possession  of  the  batteries  which  the 
French  had  evacuated.  I  remained  with  Cross  and  my  men 
on  shore  at  Cuxhaxen,  while  the  brigs  went  up  the  river,  in 
pursuit  of  a  privateer. 

After  a  day  or  two,  tired  of  inactivity,  and  anxious  to  arrive 
at  Hamburg,  I  proposed  to  Cross  that  he  should  accompany 
me,  which  he  cheerfully  acceded  to.  I  had  drawn  a  bill  at 
Heligoland,  so  that  we  were  in  no  want  of  money,  and  we 
set  off  on  our  expedition.  We  had  not,  however,  proceeded 
far  before  we  were  informed  that  the  road  to  Hamburg  was 
so  full  of  French  troops,  scattered  about,  that  it  would  be 
impossible  to  gain  the  city  without  we  made  a  detour.  As 
we  knew  that  our  throats  would  be  cut  by  these  disorganised 
parties,  we  followed  the  advice  given  to  us,  walking  from 
village  to  village,  until  we  had  put  Hamburg  between  us  and 
the  river.  But  when  there,  we  found  that  we  could  not 
approach  the  imperial  city,  but  were  obliged  to  direct  our 
steps  more  inland.  At  last,  we  heard  that  the  inhabitants 
of  the  town  of  Lunenburg  had  risen,  and  driven  out  the 
French  garrison,  and  I  resolved  to  proceed  there,  as  it  was 
more  advisable  than  being  continually  in  danger  of  being 
picked  up  by  the  French  stragglers,  who  were  committing 
every  enormity  that  could  be  imagined. 

346 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

We  arrived  safe ;  stated  who  we  were  to  the  authorities, 
and  were  well  received.  But  we  had  not  been  there  more 
than  two  days,  when  the  rejoicings  and  braggings  of  the 
townspeople,  on  account  of  the  late  victory  over  the  French 
garrison,  were  turned  to  consternation  by  the  intelligence 
that  General  Moraud  was  advancing  with  a  considerable  force 
to  retake  the  town.  The  panic  was  so  great,  that  all  idea 
of  defence  was  in  vain ;  and  at  the  very  time  that  I  was  en- 
treating them  to  make  a -stand,  the  French  troops  poured  in 
and  two  cuirassiers  galloped  up,  and  seized  upon  Cross  and 
me.  A  few  minutes  afterwards,  General  Moraud  came  up, 
and  inquired,  in  a  rough  tone,  who  we  were.  I  replied  in 
French,  that  we  were  English  officers. 

"  Take  them  away,"  said  he,  "  and  secure  them  well ;  I'll 
make  an  example  here  that  shan't  be  forgotten." 

We  were  taken  to  the  guard-room,  where  we  remained 
shut  up  for  the  night.  The  next  morning  one  of  the  cuiras- 
siers looked  into  our  cell.  I  asked  him  whether  we  could 
not  have  something  to  eat. 

"  Cela  ne  vaut  pas  la  peine.  Mon  ami,  vous  n'aurez  pas  le 
temps  pour  la  digestion ;  dans  im  demi-lieure  vous  serez 
fusilles." 

"  May  I  ask  the  English  of  that,  Captain  Keene  ?  "  replied 
Cross. 

"  Yes,  it  is  very  pleasant.  He  says  that  it's  not  worth 
while  eating  anything,  as  we  shall  be  shot  in  half-an-hour." 

"Well,  I  suppose  they'll  shoot  us  first,  and  try  us  after- 
wards," replied  Cross.  "  Won't  they  give  us  a  reason  ?  " 

"  I  suspect  not,  Cross.  I  am  sorry  that  I  have  got  you  into 
this  scrape ;  as  for  myself,  I  care  little  about  it." 

"  I  am  sorry  for  poor  Jane,  sir,"  replied  Cross ;  "  but  we  all 
owe  Heaven  a  death ;  and,  after  all,  it's  not  worth  making  a 
fuss  about." 

Our  conversation  was  here  interrupted  by  a  party  of  French 
soldiers,  who  opened  the  door,  and  ordered  us  to  follow  them. 
We  had  not  far  to  go,  for  we  were  led  out  to  the  Grand  Place 
before  the  prison,  where  we  found  the  French  troops  drawn 
up,  and  General  Moraud,  with  his  officers  round  him,  standing 
in  the  centre.  At  twenty  yards'  distance,  and  surrounded 
by  the  troops,  which  did  not  amount  to  more  than  three 
hundred,  were  thirty  of  the  principal  inhabitants  of  the  town, 

347 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

pinioned,  and  handkerchiefs  tied  over  their  eyes,  preparatory 
to  their  being  shot ;  this  being  the  terrible  example  that  the 
general  had  threatened. 

"  Look,  Cross/'  said  I,  "  what  a  handful  of  men  these 
Frenchmen  have  retaken  the  town  with.  Why,  if  we  had 
resisted,  we  might  have  laughed  at  them." 

"  We  won't  laugh  any  more,  I  expect,"  replied  Bob. 

"  Allans,"  said  the  corporal  to  us. 

"  Where  ?  "  replied  I. 

"  To  your  friends,  there/'  replied  he,  pointing  to  the  towns- 
people, who  were  about  to  be  shot. 

"  I  wish  to  speak  to  the  general,"  replied  I,  resisting. 

"  No,  no  ;  you  must  go." 

"\  will  speak  to  the  general,"  replied  I,  pushing  the  corporal 
on  one  side,  and  walking  to  where  the  general  was  standing. 

"  Well  ?  "  said  the  general  fiercely. 

"  I  wish  to  know,  sir,"  replied  I,  "  by  what  law  you  are 
guided  in  shooting  us.  We  are  English  officers,  here  on  duty 
to  assist  against  the  French,  and  at  the  most  can  only  be 
prisoners  of  war.  Upon  what  grounds  do  you  order  us  to 
be  shot  ?  " 

"  As  spies,"  replied  the  general. 

"  I  am  no  spy,  sir  ;  I  am  a  post-captain  in  the  English  navy, 
who  joined  with  the  seamen  saved  from  the  wreck  of  my 
frigate  in  the  attack  upon  Cuxhaven,  and  there  is  my  boat- 
swain, who  came  up  with  me  to  go  to  Hamburg.  At  all 
events,  I  am  fully  justified  in  siding  against  the  French ;  and 
to  shoot  us  will  be  a  murder,  which  will  not  fail  to  be 
revenged." 

"  You  may  pass  yourself  off  as  the  captain  of  a  frigate,  but 
your  dress  disproves  it,  and  I  have  better  information.  You 
are  two  spies,  and  smugglers,  and  therefore  you  will  be  shot." 

"  I  tell  you  before  all  your  officers  that  I  am  Captain 
Keene,  of  the  Circe  frigate,  belonging  to  His  Britannic 
Majesty,  and  no  spy ;  if  you  choose  to  shoot  me  now,  I  leave 
my  death  to  be  revenged  by  my  country." 

At  this  moment  an  officer  in  naval  uniform  stepped  forward 
and  looked  me  in  the  face. 

"  General  Moraud,"  said  he,  "what  that  officer  says  is  true  ; 
he  is  Captain  Keene,  and  I  was  prisoner  on  board  of  his 
vessel ;  and  I  also  know  the  other  man  as  well." 

348 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

"Captain  Vangilt,  I  do  not  request  your  interference," 
replied  the  general. 

"  But,  general,  as  an  officer  in  the  marine  of  the  emperor, 
it  is  my  duty  to  state  to  you,  that  you  are  deceived,  and 
that  this  officer  is  the  person  that  he  states  himself  to  be. 
Messieurs,"  continued  Captain  Vangilt,  addressing  those  about 
the  general,  "  I  assure  you  it  is  true,  and  I  am  under  the 
greatest  obligation  to  this  officer  for  his  kindness  and  humanity 
when  I  was  his  prisoner." 

"  I  recognise  you  now,  Mr.  Vangilt,"  replied  I ;  "  and  I 
thank  you  for  your  evidence." 

"  You  see,  general,  he  knows  me  by  name  :  I  must  demand 
the  life  of  this  British  officer." 

The  other  officers  then  spoke  to  the  general,  who  heard 
all  they  had  to  say,  and  then,  with  a  sardonic  grin,  replied — 

"  Gentlemen,  he  may  be  an  officer,  but  still  he  is  a  spy." 

At  that  moment  an  orderly  came  up  on  horseback,  and, 
dismounting,  gave  a  note  to  the  general. 

"Sucre  bleu!"  cried  he;  "then  we'll  have  our  revenge 
first  at  all  events.  Soldiers,  take  these  two  men,  and  put 
them  in  the  centre,  with  the  others." 

Vangilt  pleaded  and  entreated  in  vain  :  at  last,  in  his  rage, 
he  called  the  general  "  a  coward,  and  a  madman." 

"  Captain  Vangilt,  you  will  answer  that  at  some  other  time," 
replied  the  general ;  "  at  present  we  will  carry  our  will  into 
execution.  Lead  them  away." 

Vangilt  then  covered  his  face  with  his  hands,  and  all  the 
other  officers  showed  signs  of  great  disgust. 

"  Farewell,  Vangilt,"  said  I,  in  French  ;  "  I  thank  you  for 
your  interference,  although  you  have  not  succeeded  with  the 
scoundrel." 

"Take  them  away  !"  roared  the  general. 

At  that  moment  the  report  of  musketry  was  heard  in  drop- 
ping shots. 

"Well,  if  ever  I  saw  such  a  bloody  villain,"  said  Cross. 
"Take  that,  at  all  events,"  continued  Bob,  shying  his  hat 
right  into  the  general's  face.  "I  only  wish  it  was  a  32- 
pounder,  you  murdering  thief." 

The  rage  of  the  general  may  easily  be  imagined.  Once 
more  he  gave  his  orders,  drawing  his  sword  in  a  menacing 
way  at  his  own  soldiers,  who  now  forced  us  towards  the  part 

349 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

of  the  square  where  the  other  victims  were  collected.  As 
soon  as  we  were  there,  they  wanted  to  blind  our  eyes,  but  that 
both  I  and  Bob  positively  refused,  and  a  delay  was  created 
by  our  resistance.  The  musketry  was  now  approaching  much 
nearer;  and  a  few  seconds  afterwards  the  general  gave  the  word 
for  the  party  to  advance  who  were  to  execute  the  sentence. 

The  other  prisoners  kneeled  down ;  but  I  and  Cross  would 
not ;  and  while  we  were  resisting,  the  general  repeated  his 
order  to  fire.  But  the  men  were  confused  with  the  advance 
of  the  enemy,  and  the  impossibility  to  fire  while  Cross  and  I 
not  only  resisted  the  soldiers,  but  held  them  so  fast,  that 
had  the  party  fii'ed  they  must  have  shot  them  as  well  as  us. 
A  cry  "  To  arms ! "  was  given,  and  the  troops  all  wheeled 
round  in  front  to  repel  the  enemy.  A  loud  hurrah  was 
followed  by  an  inpouring  of  some  hundred  Cossacks,  with 
their  long  spears,  who  in  a  few  seconds  charged  and  routed 
the  French,  who  retreated  in  the  greatest  confusion  by  the 
different  streets  which  led  into  the  Grand  Place. 

"  Hurrah  !  we  are  saved,"  cried  Cross,  snatching  up  a 
musket  that  had  been  dropped  by  a  soldier.  I  did  the  same, 
and  pursued  the  retreating  French,  till  a  bullet  through  my 
leg  put  a  stop  to  my  progress.  I  called  to  Cross,  who  came 
to  my  assistance,  and  he  helped  me  back  to  the  Grand  Place, 
which  was  now  clear  of  troops. 


CHAPTER  XUV 

1  HE  Cossacks  having  divided,  and  gone  in  pursuit  of  the 
French,  I  pointed  out  to  Cross  a  hotel,  and  requested  him  to 
help  me  there.  As  we  crossed  the  square,  strewed  with  the 
dead  and  wounded,  we  passed  close  to  General  Moraud,  who 
was  breathing  his  last. 

"See,  Cross,"  said  I,  "there  is  retribution.  He  intended 
that  we  should  fall  where  he  now  lies." 

The  general  recognised  us,  gave  a  heavy  groan,  and,  turn- 
ing on  his  back,  fell  dead. 

As  soon  as  I  gained  the  hotel,  I  was  taken  up  into  a  room, 
and  made  as  comfortable  as  I  could  be  until  my  wound  could 
be  dressed 

35° 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

"  We're  well  out  of  it  this  time,  sir/'  said  Cross. 

"Yes,  indeed,  Bob  ;  this  has  indeed  been  a  miraculous  pre- 
servation, and  we  ought  to  thank  Heaven  for  it." 

"  Why,  Captain  Keene,  I  thought  just  now  you  did  not 
care  whether  you  lived  or  died." 

"  No  more  I  did  at  that  time,  Cross ;  but  when  we  are  so 
wonderfully  preserved,  we  cannot  think  but  that  we  are  pre- 
served for  better  things ;  and  as  Providence  has  interfered,  it 
points  out  to  us  that  it  is  our  duty  to  live." 

"Well,  I'm  glad  to  hear  you  say  that,  sir.  There's  all  the 
troops  coming  back.  What  queer-looking  chaps  they  are, 
with  their  long  lances,  and  long  beards  ! " 

"  Yes  ;  they  are  Cossacks — Russian  irregular  cavalry." 

"  Irregular  enough,  I  don't  doubt ;  but  they  spitted  the 
Frenchmen  nicely.  They  look  exactly  what  I  thought  the 
Pope  of  Rome  was  like." 

"  Cross,  call  the  master  of  the  hotel,  and  tell  him  to  come 
here."  When  the  man  came,  I  desired  him  to  let  the  com- 
mander of  the  allied  troops  know  that  an  English  captain  was 
wounded,  and  required  surgical  assistance.  The  master  of 
the  hotel  went  to  the  burgomaster,  who  was  one  of  those  who 
had  been  ordered  to  be  shot ;  and  the  burgomaster,  who  was 
now  in  company  with  the  Russian  commander,  made  known 
what  I  required.  In  about  an  hour  a  surgeon  came,  and  my 
wound  was  dressed.  The  burgomaster  called  soon  afterwards, 
and  expressed  his  obligation  to  me  ;  "  For,"  said  he,  "  if  you 
had  not  created  the  delay — which  you  did  by  your  resistance 
— it  would  have  been  all  over  with  us  by  this  time." 

"  You  have  to  thank  a  Dutch  naval  officer  of  the  name  of 
Vangilt,"  replied  I ;  "it  is  he  who  saved  us  all ;  and  if  he 
is  not  hurt,  you  must  be  kind  to  him,  and  bring  him  to  me. 
I  will  get  him  his  parole,  if  he  is  a  prisoner.  Will  you  see 
to  it,  burgomaster  ?  " 

"  I  will,"  replied  he,  "  as  soon  as  we  are  a  little  more 
tranquil ;  but,  what  with  fright  and  confusion,  none  of  us 
know  what  we  are  about.  You  were  right,  sir,  in  persuading 
us  to  defend  ourselves.  We  might  easily  have  beaten  off  the 
small  force  of  General  Moraud ;  but  we  thought  he  had  ten 
thousand  men  at  least.  We  will  do  better  another  time  ;  but 
the  French  are  now  in  full  retreat  everywhere." 

That  night,  after  dusk,  Captain  Vangilt  came  into  my 

351 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

room :  he  had  been  a  prisoner ;  but  the  burgomaster  made 
inquiries,  and  let  him  out,  which,  as  chief  magistrate,  he  had 
the  power  to  do.  Vangilt  embraced  me  with  much  warmth, 
and  expressed  his  regret  that  he  could  not  persuade  that 
wretch,  Moraud,  from  his  murderous  intentions. 

"It  came  to  the  same  thing,  Vangilt;  I  owe  you  my  life;  for 
if  you  had  not  created  the  delay,  we  should  have  been  shot." 

"  That's  true,"  replied  he.  "  How  fortunate  it  was  that, 
as  my  squadron  of  gunboats  were  destroyed,  I  consented  to 
join  Moraud  with  what  men  I  could  collect,  to  surprise  the 
town.  Are  you  badly  wounded  ?" 

"  No,  not  seriously,  I  believe ;  I  hope  to  be  able  to  get  to 
Hamburg  in  a  few  days." 

"  There  is  more  than  one  there  who  will  be  delighted  to 
see  you." 

"  Is  Mr.  Vanderwelt  alive  and  well  ?  " 

"  Oh  yes  ;  and  Minnie,  my  pretty  cousin,  is  still  unmarried." 
Vangilt  smiled  as  he  made  this  reply. 

"  I  must  ask  for  your  parole,  Vangilt,  and  then  you  can 
go  to  Hamburg  with  us." 

"  With  all  my  heart,"  replied  he  ;  "  for  we  are  tired  of  war, 
and  as  I  am  a  Dutchman  and  not  a  Frenchman,  I  care  little 
for  the  reverses  we  have  met  with  ;  all  I  hope  is,  that  Holland 
may  become  a  kingdom  again,  and  not  a  French  state,  as 
it  is  now." 

The  next  day  I  was  visited  by  the  Russian  commandant, 
who  very  willingly  granted  me  the  parole  of  Vangilt.  In  a 
week  I  was  well  enough  to  travel  by  slow  journeys  to  Ham- 
burg, lying  on  mattresses  in  a  small  covered  waggon,  and 
escorted  by  Cross  and  Vangilt.  A  few  hours  before  my 
arrival,  Vangilt  went  ahead  to  give  notice  of  my  coming,  and 
on  the  evening  of  the  second  day  I  found  myself  in  a  luxurious 
chamber,  with  every  comfort,  in  the  company  of  Mr.  Vander- 
welt, and  with  the  beaming  eyes  of  Minnie  watching  over  me. 

The  report  of  Minnie's  beauty  was  fully  warranted.  When 
she  first  made  her  appearance,  the  effect  upon  me  was  quite 
electrical :  her  style  was  radiant,  and  almost  dazzling — a 
something  you  did  not  expect  to  find  in  the  human  counte- 
nance. Their  reception  of  me  was  all  that  I  could  desire ; 
their  affection  shown  towards  me,  their  anxiety  about  my 
wound,  and  joy  at  once  more  having  me  under  their  roof, 

352 


PERCIVAL  KEENS 

proved  that  I  had  not  been  forgotten.  After  a  short  time 
Vangilt  left  the  room,  and  I  remained  on  the  sofa,  one  hand 
in  the  grasp  of  Mr.  Vanderwelt,  the  other  holding  the  not 
unwilling  one  of  Minnie.  That  evening  I  made  known  to 
them  all  that  had  taken  place  since  I  last  wrote  to  them, 
winding  up  with  the  loss  of  my  frigate,  the  death  of  Lord  de 
Versely,  and  my  subsequent  capture  and  rescue. 

"  And  so  it  was  in  attempting  to  come  and  see  us  that  you 
were  wounded  and  nearly  murdered  ?  " 

(( Yes,  Minnie ;  I  had  long  been  anxious  to  see  you,  and 
could  not  help  availing  myself  of  the  first  opportunity." 

"Thank  God  you  are  here  at  last,"  said  Mr.  Vanderwelt, 
"and  that  there  is  now  every  prospect  of  a  conclusion  to 
the  war." 

"  And  you  won't  go  to  sea  any  more — will  you,  Percival  ?  " 
said  Minnie. 

"  They  won't  give  me  a  ship,  Minnie,  after  having  lost  the 
one  I  commanded :  to  be  unfortunate  is  to  be  guilty,  in  those 
who  have  no  interest." 

"  I'm  very  glad  to  hear  it ;  then  you'll  remain  quietly  on 
shore,  and  you  will  come  and  see  us." 

As  I  had  been  rendered  feverish  by  travelling,  and  my 
wound  was  a  little  angry,  as  soon  as  it  was  dressed  for  the 
night,  they  left  me  to  repose  ;  but  that  I  could  not — the  form 
of  Minnie  haunted  me ;  to  sleep  was  impossible,  and  I  lay 
thinking  of  her  till  day  dawned.  The  fact  was,  that  I  was  for 
the  first  time  in  love,  and  that  in  no  small  degree — before 
morning  I  was  desperately  so.  Indeed,  there  was  excuse 
sufficient,  for  Minnie  was  as  winning  in  her  manners  as  she 
was  lovely  in  her  person,  and  I  was  not  at  all  surprised  at 
hearing  from  Vangilt  of  the  numerous  suitors  for  her  hand. 


CHAPTER  XLV 

J_  HE  next  morning  I  was  pale  and  feverish,  which  they 
observed  with  concern.  Minnie  was  sitting  by  me,  and  Mr. 
Vanderwelt  had  left  the  room,  when  she  said,  "  How  very 
pale  you  are,  and  your  hand  is  so  hot;  I  wish  the  doctor 
would  come." 

353  z 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

"  I  could  not  sleep  last  night,  Minnie — and  it  was  all  your 
fault." 

"  My  fault ! " 

"  Yes,  your  fault ;  for  I  could  not  sleep  for  thinking  of  you  ; 
I  thought  you  were  looking  at  me  as  you  do  now  the  whole 
night." 

Minnie  blushed,  and  I  kissed  her  hand. 

As  soon  as  my  wound  was  dressed,  I  requested  writing 
materials,  and  wrote  to  the  Admiralty,  giving  an  account  of 
what  had  occurred  since  I  quitted  Heligoland  (I  had  written 
to  inform  them  of  the  loss  of  the  frigate  when  I  was  on  the 
island).  I  stated  in  my  despatches  that  my  wound  would 
probably  confine  me  for  some  weeks ;  but  as  soon  as  I  was 
able  to  be  moved,  I  should  return  to  England  to  await  their 
orders.  I  also  wrote  to  my  mother  and  Mr.  Warden.  I  in- 
formed the  latter  of  what  had  passed,  and  the  delay  which 
would  be  occasioned  by  my  wound,  and  requested  him  to 
write  to  me  more  fully  as  to  the  death  of  Lord  de  Versely 
and  any  other  particulars  which  might  interest  me. 

Having  sealed  these  despatches,  and  entrusted  them  to  the 
care  of  Mr.  Vanderwelt,  my  mind  was  relieved,  and  I  had 
nothing  to  do  but  to  think  of  and  talk  to  Minnie.  That  my 
progress  in  her  affections  was  rapid,  was  not  to  be  wondered 
at,  her  attachment  to  me  having  commenced  so  early ;  and 
as  her  father  was  evidently  pleased  at  our  increasing  intimacy, 
in  a  fortnight  after  my  arrival  at  Hamburg,  Minnie  had 
consented  to  be  mine,  and  her  father  had  joined  our  hands, 
and  given  us  his  blessing. 

As  I  now  had  no  secrets  from  them,  I  detailed  my  whole 
history,  the  cause  of  Lord  de  Versely 's  patronage,  and  the 
mystery  of  my  birth.  I  opened  the  sealskin  pouch  to  show 
them  Lord  de  Versely's  letter  to  my  mother,  and  stated  what 
had  been  the  object  of  my  ambition  through  life,  and  how 
great  was  my  disappointment  at  my  hopes  being  overthrown 
by  the  death  of  his  lordship. 

"  My  dear  Percival,"  said  old  Mr.  Vanderwelt,  after  I  had 
concluded  my  narrative,  "you  have  been  pursuing  a  shadow, 
although  the  pursuit  has  called  forth  all  your  energies,  and  led 
to  your  advancement.  You  have  the  substance.  You  have 
wealth  more  than  sufficient,  for  you  know  how  rich  I  am.  You 
have  reputation,  which  is  better  than  wealth,  and  you  have 

354 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

now,  I  trust,  a  fair  prospect  of  domestic  happiness ;  for  Minnie 
will  be  as  good  a  wife  as  she  has  been  a  daughter.  What, 
then,  do  you  desire  ?  A  name.  And  what  is  that  ?  Nothing. 
If  you  do  not  like  your  present  name,  from  its  association 
with  your  putative  father  of  low  origin,  change  it  to  mine. 
You  will  receive  the  fortune  of  an  heiress,  which  will  fully 
warrant  your  so  doing.  At  all  events,  let  not  your  pride  stand 
in  the  way  of  your  happiness.  We  cannot  expect  everything 
in  this  world.  You  have  much  to  be  thankful  to  Heaven  for, 
and  you  must  not  repine  because  you  cannot  obtain  all." 

"  I  have  so  ardently  desired  it  all  my  life  ;  it  has  been  the 
sole  object  of  my  ambition,"  replied  I,  "and  I  cannot  but 
severely  feel  the  disappointment." 

"  Granted ;  but  you  must  bear  the  disappointment,  or 
rather  you  must  forget  it ;  regret  for  what  cannot  be  obtained 
is  not  only  unavailing,  but  I  may  say  it  is  sinful.  You  have 
much  to  thank  God  for." 

"I  have  indeed,  sir/'  replied  I,  as  I  kissed  his  daughter,  "and 
I  will  not  repine.  I  will  take  your  name  when  you  give  me 
Minnie,  and  I  will  think  no  more  about  that  of  Delmar." 

After  this  conversation  the  subject  was  not  renewed.  I 
felt  too  happy  with  Minnie's  love  to  care  much  about  any- 
thing else ;  my  ambition  melted  away  before  it,  and  I  looked 
forward  to  the  time  when  I  might  embrace  her  as  my  own. 

My  wound  healed  rapidly ;  I  had  been  a  month  at  Ham- 
burg, and  was  able  to  limp  about  a  little,  when  one  day 
Cross  came  in  with  a  packet  of  letters  from  England. 

There  was  one  from  the  Admiralty,  acknowledging  the 
receipt  of  my  two  letters,  one  announcing  the  loss  of  the 
Circe,  and  the  other  my  subsequent  adventures,  desiring  me  to 
come  home  as  soon  as  my  wound  would  permit  me,  to  have  the 
cause  of  the  loss  of  the  Circe  investigated  by  a  court-martial — 
that  of  course ;  one  from  my  mother,  thanking  Heaven  that 
I  had  escaped  so  many  dangers  with  only  a  bullet  in  my  leg, 
and  stating  her  intention  of  going  up  to  town  to  see  me  as 
soon  as  she  heard  of  my  arrival ;  the  third  was  a  voluminous 
epistle  from  Mr.  Warden,  which  I  shall  give  to  the  reader  in 
his  own  words : — 

"My  DEAR  CAPTAIN  KEENE, — I  received  your  two  letters, 
the  first  acquainting  me  with  your  miraculous  preservation, 

355 


PERCIVAL   KEENE 

after  the  loss  of  your  frigate,  and  the  other  with  your 
subsequent  adventures  on  terra  Jirma.  You  appear  to  me  to 
have  a  charmed  life,  and  as  there  is  now  every  prospect  of  a 
speedy  termination  to  this  long  and  devastating  war,  I  hope 
you  will  live  many  days.  I  di4  not  enter  into  many  par- 
ticulars as  to  Lord  de  Versely's  death,  as  it  was  so  sudden ; 
the  property  left  you  is  not  perhaps  of  so  much  value  in 
itself,  as  it  is  as  a  mark  of  his  regard  and  esteem.  Neverthe- 
less, if  ever  you  sit  down  quietly  and  take  a  wife,  you  will 
find  that  it  will  save  you  a  few  thousands  in  furnishing  and 
decorating  ;  the  plate,  pictures,  and  objects  de  vertu,  as  they 
are  termed,  are  really  valuable,  and  I  know  that  you  will  not 
part  with  them,  bequeathed  as  they  have  been  by  your  friend 
and  patron. 

"  I  must  now  refer  to  particulars  of  more  consequence. 
You  know  that,  as  a  legal  adviser,  my  lips  are  supposed  to  be 
sealed,  and  they  would  have  remained  so  now,  had  it  not 
been  that  circumstances  have  occurred  which  warrant  my 
disclosure ;  indeed,  I  may  say  that  I  have  permission  to 
speak  plainly,  as  you  have  to  repel  charges  against  you, 
which,  if  not  disproved,  may  seriously  affect  your  future 
interests.  Know,  then,  that  when  you  were  last  at  Madeline 
Hall,  I  was  sent  for  to  draw  up  the  will  of  the  Honourable 
Miss  Delmar,  and  I  then  discovered  that  the  will  which  had 
been  made  in  favour  of  Lord  de  Versely,  to  whom  Miss 
Delmar  had  left  eveiything,  was,  by  his  express  desire,  to  be 
altered  in  your  favour ;  and  at  the  same  time  the  secret  of 
your  birth  was  confided  to  me.  You  will  see  therefore,  that 
Lord  de  Versely  did  not  neglect  your  interests.  The  De 
Versely  property  he  could  not  leave  you,  but  he  did  what  he 
could  in  your  favour.  This  will  was  signed,  sealed,  and 
attested,  and  is  now  in  my  possession ;  and  as  the  old  lady  is 
very  shaky,  and  something  approaching  to  imbecile,  I  con- 
sidered that  in  a  short  time  I  should  have  to  congratulate 
you  upon  your  succession  to  this  fine  property,  which  is  a 
clear  ,£8000  per  annum. 

"You  must  also  know,  that  Colonel  Delmar,  whom  you 
also  met  here,  and  who  accompanied  you  to  Portsmouth,  has 
always  hoped  that  he  would  be  the  heir  of  the  old  lady ;  and 
indeed,  had  you  not  stepped  in,  I  have  no  doubt  but 
eventually  such  would  have  been  the  case.  It  appears  that 

356 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

he  lias,  by  some  means,  discovered  that  you  have  ousted  him, 
arid  since  you  sailed  he  has  returned  to  Madeline  Hall,  and 
has  so  unsettled  the  old  lady,  by  reporting  that  you  are  an 
impostor,  and  no  relation  by  blood,  that  she  has  given  me 
instructions  to  make  a  new  will  in  his  favour.  By  what 
means  he  has  prevailed  upon  her  I  cannot  tell ;  the  chief 
support  of  his  assertion  rests  upon  some  letters,  which  he  has 
either  surreptitiously  obtained  or  forged,  written  by  your 
mother,  and  addressed  to  you.  Now,  that  your  mother  has 
been  supposed  to  be  dead  many  years  I  knew  well,  for  Lord 
de  Versely  told  me  so.  The  old  lady  has  shown  me  these 
letters,  which  certainly  appear  authentic ;  and  she  says,  that 
if  you  have  deceived  her  and  Lord  de  Versely  as  to  your 
mother's  death,  you  have  deceived  them  in  everything  else, 
and  that  she  does  not  now  believe  that  you  are  the  son  of 
her  nephew.  As  I  hinted  before,  the  old  lady  is  almost  in 
her  dotage,  and  cannot  well  be  reasoned  with,  for  she  is  very 
positive.  I  argued  as  long  as  I  could  with  her,  but  in  vain. 
At  last  she  consented  to  stop  proceedings  until  I  heard  from 
you,  saying,  e  If  I  can  have  any  proof  under  my  nephew's 
own  hand  that  Percival  is  his  son,  I  will  be  content;  but 
without  that  I  sign  the  new  will.' 

"  Such  is  the  state  of  affairs.  That  you  have  little  chance  if 
such  a  document  cannot  be  produced,  I  feel  certain ;  at  all 
events,  I  have  gained  delay,  which  we  lawyers  always  aim  at. 
I  only  wish  the  old  lady  would  take  a  sudden  departure,  and 
leave  the  question  as  unsettled  as  it  is.  Had  Lord  de  Versely 
not  been  so  suddenly  called  away,  this  would  never  have 
happened  ;  as  it  is,  we  must  make  the  best  fight  we  can.  At 
present  the  colonel  has  it  all  his  own  way.  Pray  write 
immediately,  and  explain  as  much  as  you  can  of  this  strange 
affair,  and  let  me  know  what  steps  you  think  it  advisable  to 
be  taken. — Yours  very  truly,  F.  WARDEN." 


CHAPTER  XLVI 

_L  HE  receipt  of  this  letter  was  extremely  mortifying  to  me. 
I  could  not  help  feeling  that  if  I  lost  the  fine  property 
which  had  been  intended  for  me,  I  lost  it  chiefly  by  the 

357 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

deceit  practised  relative  to  my  mother's  supposed  death,  and 
that  if  I  did  lose  the  estate  in  consequence,  it  was  a  proper 
punishment.  At  the  same  time,  I  felt  not  a  little  indignant 
at  the  conduct  of  Colonel  Delmar.  I  now  understood  why  it 
was  that  he  was  talking  with  Mr.  Warden's  clerk  when  I 
passed  by  them ;  and  I  also  felt  certain  that  he  must  have 
taken  advantage  of  my  situation  at  Portsmouth,  and  have 
opened  my  desk,  and  stolen  the  letters  from  my  mother.  For 
this  I  resolved  to  call  him  to  account,  under  any  circumstances 
(that  is,  whether  he  or  I  became  the  heir  to  the  old  lady),  as 
soon  as  I  could  fall  in  with  him.  Although  I  was  far  from 
despising  the  property  which  I  was  now  likely  to  lose,  yet  I 
was  more  actuated  in  my  wish  to  regain  it  by  my  enmity  to- 
wards him,  and  I  immediately  resolved  upon  what  I  would  do. 

As  I  was  still  unfit  to  travel,  and,  moreover,  was  resolved 
not  to  leave  Hamburg  without  Minnie  as  my  wife,  I  sent  for 
Cross,  and  telling  him,  in  few  words,  what  had  taken  place, 
asked  him  if  he  would  immediately  start  for  England,  which 
he  gladly  consented  to  do.  "  The  old  lady  requires,  it  seems, 
proof  from  Lord  de  Versely's  own  hand  that  I  am  his  son  ; 
fortunately,  that  is  in  my  power  to  give  ;  so  do  you  take  this, 
and  as  soon  as  you  arrive  in  England  make  all  haste  to  Air. 
Warden's  and  put  it  into  his  own  hands."  I  then  took  off  the 
sealskin  pouch  containing  Lord  de  Versely's  letter  to  my 
mother,  and  confided  it  to  his  care.  At  the  same  time  I  wrote 
a  long  letter  to  Mr.  Warden,  explaining  as  far  as  I  could  the 
means  which  the  colonel  had  used  to  get  possession  of  the 
letters,  and  the  reason  which  induced  me  to  make  his  lord- 
ship believe  that  my  mother  was  dead.  I  did  not  attempt  to 
extenuate  my  conduct ;  on  the  contrary,  I  severely  blamed 
myself  for  my  deception,  and  acknowledged  that  if  I  lost  the 
estate  it  was  nothing  more  than  I  deserved. 

Cross  made  all  haste,  and  sailed  the  next  morning.  Having 
put  this  affair  in  train,  I  had  nothing  to  do  but  to  give  all  my 
thoughts  to  Minnie.  In  another  fortnight  I  was  completely 
recovered,  and  then  I  mentioned  to  Mr.  Vanderwelt  my 
anxiety  that  the  marriage  should  take  place.  No  difficulties 
were  raised  ;  and  it  was  settled  that  on  that  day  week  I  should 
lead  my  Minnie  to  the  altar.  I  thought  that  the  week  would 
never  expire  ;  but,  like  all  other  weeks,  it  died  a  natural  death 
at  last,  and  we  were  united.  The  fete  was  over,  the  company 

358 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

had  all  left  us,  and  we  were  again  alone,  and  I  held  my 
dearest  Minnie  in  my  arms,  when  Mr.  Vanderwelt  brought  me 
in  a  letter  from  England.  It  was  from  Mr.  Warden,  and  I 
hastily  opened  it.  Minnie  shared  my  impatience,  and  read 
over  my  shoulder.  The  contents  were  as  follows  : — 

"  MY  DEAR  CAPTAIN  KEENE, — Most  fortunate  it  was  for  you 
that  you  have  preserved  that  letter ;  but  I  must  not  anticipate. 
On  receiving  it  from  Cross,  I  immediately  went  with  it  to 
the  old  lady,  and  presented  it  to  her.  I  did  more, — I  read 
over  your  letter  in  which  you  stated  your  reasons  for  making 
Lord  de  Versely  believe  that  your  mother  was  dead.  The 
old  lady,  who  is  now  very  far  gone  in  her  intellect,  could 
hardly  understand  me.  However,  her  nephew's  handwriting 
roused  her  up  a  little,  and  she  said,  '  Well,  well — I  see — I  must 
think  about  it.  I  won't  decide.  I  must  hear  what  the 
colonel  says.'  Now,  this  is  what  I  did  not  wish  her  to  do ; 
but  she  was  positive,  and  I  was  obliged  to  leave  her.  The 
colonel  was  sent  for,  but  I  do  not  know  what  the  result  was, 
or  rather  might  have  been,  as  fortune  stood  your  friend  in  a 
most  unexpected  way. 

"As  I  went  out,  I  perceived  two  gentlemen  arrive  in  a 
post-chaise.  One  of  them  appeared  very  ill  and  feeble, 
hardly  able  to  walk  up  the  steps.  They  inquired  for  Colonel 
Delmar,  and  were  shown  into  a  sitting-room,  until  he  came 
out  of  Mrs.  Delmar's  apartment.  I  saw  him  come  out,  and 
there  was  so  much  satisfaction  in  his  countenance,  that  I  felt 
sure  that  he  had  gained  over  the  old  lady.  And  I  went  home 
resolving  that  I  would  burn  the  new  will,  which  had  not  been 
signed,  if  it  were  only  to  gain  the  delay  of  having  to  make  it 
over  again.  But  the  next  morning  an  express  arrived  for  me 
to  go  immediately  to  the  Hall.  I  did  so ;  but  I  did  not  take 
the  new  will  with  me,  as  I  felt  certain  that  if  I  had  so  done, 
it  would  have  been  signed  that  day.  But  I  was  mistaken :  I 
had  been  sent  for  on  account  of  the  death  of  Colonel  Delmar, 
who  had  that  morning  fallen  in  a  duel  with  Major  Stapleton, 
the  officer  who  fought  with  you.  It  appears  that  Captain 
Green  had  informed  the  major  of  the  language  used  by  the 
colonel  when  Major  S.  was  supposed  to  be  dead  ;  and  that  the 
major,  who  has  been  very  ill  ever  since,  only  waited  till  he 
was  able  to  stand  to  demand  satisfaction  of  the  colonel.  It 

359 


PERCIVAL  KEENE 

was  the  major  with  his  friend  whom  1  met  as  I  left  the  Hall 
the  day  before.  They  fought  at  daylight,  and  both  fell.  The 
major,  however,  lived  long  enough  to  acknowledge  that  the 
duel  with  you  had  been  an  arranged  thing  between  him  and 
the  colonel,  that  you  might  be  put  out  of  the  way,  after  the 
information  the  colonel  had  received  from  my  clerk,  and  that 
the  colonel  was  to  have  rewarded  him  handsomely  if  he  had 
sent  you  into  the  other  world.  I  suspect,  after  this,  that  the 
fowling-piece  going  off  in  the  cover  was  not  quite  so  accidental 
as  was  supposed.  However,  the  colonel  is  out  of  your  way 
now,  and  the  old  lady  has  received  such  a  shock,  that  there  is 
no  fear  of  her  altering  the  will ;  indeed,  if  she  attempted  it,  I 
doubt  if  it  would  be  valid,  as  she  is  now  quite  gone  in  her  in- 
tellect. I  have,  therefore,  destroyed  the  one  not  signed,  and 
have  no  doubt  but  that  in  a  veiy  few  weeks  I  may  have  to 
congratulate  you  upon  your  succession  to  this  property.  I 
think  that  the  sooner  you  can  come  home  the  better,  and  I 
advise  you  to  take-  up  your  quarters  at  Madeline  Hall,  for 
possession  is  nine  points  of  the  law,  and  you  can  keep  off'  all 
trespassers. — Yours  most  truly,  F.  WARDEN." 

"  Well,  Minnie  dearest,  I  may  congratulate  you,  I  believe, 
as  the  lady  of  Madeline  Hall,"  said  I,  folding  up  the  letter. 

"  Yes,  Percival,  but  there  is  a  postscript  overleaf,  which  you 
have  not  read."  I  turned  back  to  the  letter. 

"  P.S. — I  quite  forgot  to  tell  you  that  there  is  a  condition 
attached  to  your  taking  possession  of  the  property,  which,  as 
it  was  at  the  particular  request  of  Lord  de  Versely,  I  presume 
you  will  not  object  to,  which  is — that  you  assume  the  arms  and 
name  of  Delmar." 


THE  END 


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